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SENATE....NO.  38. 


MESSAGE, 


Council  Chamber,  February  20,  1850. 
To  the  Senate : 

I  herewith  communicate,  for  the  use  of  the  Legislature,  the 
Report  of  Dr.  S.  G.  Howe,  on  "  Training  and  Teaching  Idiots," 
under  the  Resolves  of  May  8,  1848. 

GEO.  N.  BRIGGS. 


BOSTON    cou,.,    ,,,^^^^ 
CHESTNUT  HfLL.  MASS. 


S7510" 


\  \i.<f 


2         '    ,     '  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  FFeb. 


u  ;  ^ommontoeetlttj  of  M^uu^itt^ximiin. 


Perkins  Institution,  and  Mass.  Asylum  ) 
FOR  THE  Blind,  Boston,  Feb.,  1850,     \ 

To  His  Excellency,  George  N.  Briggs,  Governor  of  the  Com- 
monwealth of  Massachusetts : — 

Sir, — I  have  the  honor  to  lay  before  you  a 

REPORT 

of  what  has  been  done,  during  the  past  year,  towards  carrying 
out  the  benevolent  intentions  of  the  Legislature  of  Massachu- 
setts, as  set  forth  in  the  Resolves,  approved  May  8,  1848,  enti- 
tled "  Resolves  concerning  Training  and  Teaching  Idiots,"  with 
such  remarks  as  the  subject  naturally  suggests. 

It  may  be  well,  in  this  first  report,  to  put  upon  record,  a  brief 
history  of  this  interesting  movement  in  behalf  of  a  class  of  un- 
fortunate creatures,  who  have  hitherto  been  thought  to  be  beyond 
the  reach  even  of  the  most  earnest  hand  of  charity. 

In  the  winter  of  1845-6,  several  gentlemen  became  interested 
in  the  sad  condition  of  the  idiots  in  the  State,  and,  without  any 
precise  knowledge  of  what  had  been  done  for  such  persons  else- 
where, or  what  could  be  done,  determined  that  a  fair  trial  should 
be  made  of  the  capacity  of  this  unhappy  class  for  improvement. 
The  State  had  most  readily  and  generously  seconded  the  efforts 
of  humane  men  for  the  relief  of  the  insane,  the  deaf-mutes, 
and  the  blind ;  and  made  ample  provision  for  their  care  and  in- 
struction. While,  like  a  wise  parent,  she  left  all  her  other  chil- 
dren to  wholesome  liberty,  and  strengthening  self  control,  she 
gathered  these  feeble  ones  under  the  wings  of  her  motherly  love, 
and  nursed  and  nurtured  them  with  unsparing  pains  and  care. 
Nothing  had  been  done  for  the  most  wretched  and  helpless  of 
all, — the  idiots,  but  this  was  only  because  their  case  seemed 
hopeless.     Their  bodies  were  fed  and  clad.  As  for  minds,  they 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  3 

seemed  to  have  none.  They  were  therefore  kept  out  of  sight 
of  the  pubHc,  as  beings,  the  presence  of  whom,  seemed  only  to 
do  harm  to  the  beholders.  It  was  thought  desirable  to  ignore 
their  very  existence,  as  much  as  possible;  and  little  was  known 
of  their  number  and  condition.  If  it  had  been  certain,  that 
nothing  could  be  done  to  improve  them,  this  course  would  have 
been,  in  some  respects,  wise ;  for  the  sight  of  any  human 
being  in  a  state  of  brutishness,  is  demoralizing  to  unreflecting 
beholders. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done,  in  the  plan  for  their  improvement, 
was  to  gather  together  the  necessary  knowledge  concerning 
their  number  and  condition,  in  a  form  that  could  be  depended 
upon  ;  and  the  Legislature  was  persuaded  to  pass  a  Resolve,  on 
the  llth  day  of  April,  184G,  appointing  commissioners,  "to  in- 
quire into  the  condition  of  the  Idiots  of  the  Commonwealth, — 
to  ascertain  their  number,  and  whether  anything  can  be  done 
in  their  behalf" 

The  commissioners,*  so  appointed,  made  a  report,  "in  part," 
to  the  governor,  in  the  winter  of  1847;  but,  not  having  finished 
their  labors,  they  asked  to  be  continued,  and  their  request  was 
granted. 

They  made  a  final  and  full  report  in  the  winter  of  1847-8 ; 
which,  with  its  statistical  tables,  and  minute  details,  was  pub- 
lished, by  order  of  the  Legislature.! 

A  few  short  extracts,  from  this  report,  of  painfully  interesting 
facts,  will  show  what  was  the  number  and  condition  of  the 
wretched  creatures,  who  had  been  the  subjects  of  examination. 

The  commissioners  begin  by  saying: — "We  did  not  look 
upon  idiocy  as  a  thing  which  concerned  only  the  hundred  or 
thousand  unfortunate  creatures,  in  this  generation,  who  are 
stunted  or  blighted  by  it;  for  even  if  means  could  be  found,  of 
raising  all  the  idiots,  now  within  our  borders,  from  their  brutish- 
ness, and  alleviating  their  suffering,  the  work  would  have  to 
be  done  over  again,  because  the  next  generation  would  be 
burdened  with  an  equal  number  of  them.  Such  means  would 
only  cut  off  the  outward  cancer,  and  leave  the  vicious  sources 
of  it  in  the  system.  We  regarded  idiocy  as  a  diseased  excres- 
cence of  society;  as  an  outward  sign  of  an  inward  malady.     It 

*  The  commissioners  were  S.  G.  Howe,  Horatio  Byington,  and  Gilman  Kimball. 

t  Report  to  the  Governor,  Feb.  26, 1848,  by  S.  G.  Howe,  Chairman  of  the  Commission. 


4  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

was  hard  to  believe  it  to  be  in  the  order  of  Providence,  that  the 
earth  should  always  be  cumbered  with  so  many  creatures  in  the 
human  shape,  but  without  the  light  of  human  reason.  It 
seemed  impious,  to  attribute  to  the  Creator  any  such  glaring 
imperfection  in  his  handiwork.  It  appeared  to  us  certain,  that 
the  existence  of  so  many  idiots,  in  every  generation,  must  be 
the  consequence  of  some  violation  of  the  naturallaws ;  that, 
where  there  was  so  much  suffering,  there  must  have  been  sin. 
We  resolved,  therefore,  to  seek  for  the  sources  of  the  evil,  as 
well  as  to  gauge  the  depth  and  extent  of  the  misery.  It  was  to 
be  expected,  that  the  search  would  oblige  us  to  witness  painful 
scenes,  not  only  of  misfortunes  and  sufferings,  but  of  deformi- 
ties and  infirmities,  the  consequences  of  ignorance,  vice,  and 
depravity.  The  subjects  of  them,  however,  were  brethren  of 
the  human  family  ;  the  end  proposed,  was  not  only  to  relieve 
their  sufferings,  and  improve  their  condition,  but,  if  possible,  to 
lessen  such  evils  in  coming  generations;  the  task,  therefore,  was 
not  to  be  shrunk  from,  however  repulsive  and  painful  was  its 
contemplation." 

"  It  must  be  confessed,  however,  that  we  have  been  painfully 
disappointed  by  the  sad  reality,  for  the  numbers  of  beings  ori- 
ginally made  in  God's  image,  but  now  sunk  in  utter  brutishness, 
is  fearfully  great,  even  beyond  any  thing  that  had  been  antici- 
pated." 

"  The  examination  of  their  physical  condition  forces  one  into 
scenes,  from  the  contemplation  of  which,  the  mind  and  the 
senses  instinctively  revolt." 

"In  searching  for  the  causes  of  this  wretchedness  in  the  con- 
dition and  habits  of  the  progenitors  of  the  sufferers,  there  is 
found  a  degree  of  physical  deterioration,  and  of  mental  and 
moral  darkness,  which  will  hardly  be  credited." 

"  We  would  fain  be  spared  any  relation  of  what  has  been  wit- 
nessed, as  well  for  our  own  sake,  as  for  the  tastes  and  feelings 
of  others,  which  must  be  shocked  by  the  recital  of  it.  It  would 
be  pleasanter  simply  to  recommend  such  measures  as  would 
tend  to  remove  the  present  evils,  and  prevent  their  recurrence ; 
but  this  may  not  be." 

"  Evils,  however,  cannot  be  grappled  with  and  overcome,  un- 
less their  nature  and  extent  are  fully  known.  Besides,  our  duty 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  5 

was  not  only  to  examine  into,  but  to  report  upon,  the  condition 
o(  the  idiots  in  our  Commonwealth  ;  and  that  duty  must  be  done." 

With  regard  to  the  number,  the  report  says : — 

"  By  dihgent  and  careful  inquiries,  in  nearly  one  hundred 
towns  in  different  pans  of  the  State,  we  have  ascertained -the 
existence,  and  examined  the  condition,  of  Jive  hundred  and 
seventy-Jive  human  beings  who  are  condemned  to  hopeless 
idiocy,  who  are  considered  and  treated  as  idiots  by  their  neigh- 
bors, and  left  to  their  own  brutishness.  They  are  also  idiotic 
in  a  legal  sense ;  that  is,  they  are  regarded  as  incapable  of 
enteripg  into  contracts,  and  are  .irresponsible  for  their  actions, 
although  some  of-  them  would  not  be  considered  as  idiots 
according-to  the  definition  of  idiocy  by  medical  writers." 

"  There  are  a  few  cases  where  insanity  has  terminated  in  total 
dementia.  There  are  others,  where  the  sufferers  seemed  to 
have  had  all  their  faculties  in  youth,  and  to  have  gradually  lost 
them,  not  by  insanity,  but  by  unknown  causes.  Excluding  such 
cases,  there  are  four  hundred  and  twenty  persons  who  are  to 
be  regarded  as  truly  idiots.  These  are  found  in  77  towns. 
But  of  these  towns  only  G3  were  thoroughly  examined.  They 
contain  an  aggregate  population  of  185,942 ;  among  which, 
were  found  361  idiots,  exclusive  of  insane  persons.  Now,  if 
the  other  parts  of  the  State  contain  the  same  proportion  of  idiots 
to  their  whole  population,  the  total  number  in  the  Common- 
wealth is  between  Jourtccn  and  Jijteen  hundred  I'''' 

After  given  the  reasons  for  supposing  this  calculation  not  too 
high,  the  report  continues, — 

"  Over  four  hundred  idiots  have  been  minutely  inspected  by  us 
personally,  or  by  an  agent  upon  whom  we  can  rely.  Upon  the 
bodily  and  mental  condition  of  these,  will  be  based  our  remarks 
and  conclusions.  In  an  Appendix  will  be  found  their  names 
ages,  physical  condition,  and  mental  and  moral  character.  It 
may  seem  to  some,  who  inspect  the  Tables,  that  they  contain 
many  trivial  details  with  regard  to  the  physical  condition  of  the 
persons  named,  but  it  is  hard  to  be  too  minute  in  these  state- 
ments. The  whole  subject  of  idiocy  is  new.  Science  has  not 
yet  thrown  her  certain  light  upon  its  remote,  or  even  its  proxi- 
mate causes." 

"There  is  little  doubt,  however,  that  they  are  to  be  foundjn 
the  CONDITION  OF  THE  BODILY  ORGANIZATION,     The  sizc  and  shape 


6  TRAINING   IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

of  the  head,  therefore ;  the  proportionate  development  of  its 
different  parts;  the  condition  of  tlie  nervous  system ;  the  tem- 
perament; the  activity  of  the  various  functions;  the  develop- 
ment of  the  great  cavities ;  the  chest  and  abdomen  ;  the  stature  ; 
the  weight ; — every  peculiarity,  in  short,  that  can  be  noted  in  a 
great  number  of  individuals,  may  be  valuable  to  future  ob- 
servers. We  contribute  our  own  observations  to  the  store  of 
facts,  out  of  which  science  may,  by  and  by,  deduce  general 
laws.  If  any  bodily  peculiarities,  however  minute,  always 
accompany  peculiar  mental  conditions,  they  become  important ; 
they  are  the  tinger-marks  of  the  Creator,  by  which  we  learn  to 
read  his  works." 

"There  are  yet  more  subtle  causes  of  idiocy  existing  in  the 
bodily  organization,  and  derived  from  the  action  of  that  mys- 
terious, but  inevitable  law,  by  which  nature,  outraged  in  the 
persons  of  the  parents,  exacts  her  penalty  from  the  persons  of 
their  children.  We  have  endeavored  to  throw  some  light  upon 
this  also ;  or  rather,  to  give  a  number  of  detached  luminous 
points  ;  trusting  that  more  accurate  observers  will  furnish  many 
others,  until  all  the  dark  surface  shall  be  made  bright,  and  the 
whole  subject  become  clear." 

Speaking  of  the  condition  of  idiots,  the  report  says. — 

"One  of  the  greatest  difllculties  in  the  consideration  of  this 
subject,  is  to  distinguish  between  demented  persons  and  idiots. 
In  our  lunatic  asylums  are  found  some,  who  are  reduced  to  a 
state  of  complete  idiocy,  but  who  are  not,  strictly  speaking, 
idiots-  their  minds  have  once  been  in  the  normal  condition ; 
they  have  lost  their  understanding;  they  are  demented.  It  is 
not  necessary,  however,  in  a  report  like  this,  intended  merely  to 
promote  a  work  of  humanity,  to  be  very  precise  about  the  defini- 
tion of  terms.  It  was  probably  the  intention  of  the  legislature  to 
use  the  word  "  idiot"  in  the  popular  and  common  sense." 

"We  have  considered,  therefore,  all  persons  whose  understand- 
ing is  undeveloped,  or  developed  only  in  a  partial  and  very 
feeble  degree,  or  who  have  lost  their  understanding,  without 
becoming  insane,  to  be  proper  objects  for  examination.  Of  the 
575  persons  reported  to  us  as  idiotic,  420  may  be  considered  as 
properly  idiotic,  for  their  feebleness  of  intellect  is  connate  ;  while 
155  have  become  idiotic  after  birth." 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38. 


The    Condition    and    Capacities    of    the    Idiots    in    Massa- 
chusetts. ' 

"  Confining  our  attention  to  the  cases  of  real  idiots,  above- 
mentioned,  viz. : — 420  out  of  575, — it  is  found  that  187  are  under 
25  years  of  age.  Of  these,  174  seem  capable  of  improvement; 
they  present  proper  cases  for  attempts  at  instruction,  and  the 
formation  of  regular,  industrious,  and  cleanly  habits.  Only  13 
seem  incapable  of  improvement.  Of  those  over  25  years  of 
age,  there  are  73  who  seem  capable  of  little  or  no  improvement 
in  mental  condition." 

"Of  the  420  idiots  proper,  19  can  now  earn  their  board  and 
clothing,  under  the  management  of  discreet  persons;  141  do 
earn  their  board,  when  properly  managed  ;  110  can  do  trifling 
work,  if  carefully  watched  and  directed;  73  are  as  helpless 
as  children  of  7  years  old ;  43  are  as  helpless  as  children  of  2 
years  old;  and  33  are  as  utterly  helpless  as  infants." 

"  With  regard  to  pecuniary  circumstances,  of  the  420  who 
were  particularly  examined,  20  have  property  of  their  own. 
held  by  guardians;  26  belong  to  wealthy  families;  196  belong 
to  indigent  families,  but  are  not  public  paupers,  though  some 
of  them  receive  occasional  aid  from  the  public;  148  are  town 
or  state  paupers.  Of  the  whole  number, — namely  574, — there 
are  220  at  town  or  state  charge." 

"  Of  the  420  idiots  proper,  218  are  insatiable  gluttons ;  and  102 
are  known  to  be  given  to  self  abuse  in  a  frightful  degree.  For 
further  information,  we  refer  to  the  cases  in  the  Appendix,  and 
to  the  Tables,  and  proceed  to  consider  the  actual 

Condition  and  Treatment  of  Idiots. 

"  In  order  to  form  a  just  idea  upon  this  subject,  we  purposely 
made  our  examination  of  idiots  in  nearly  one  hundred  towns, 
situated  in  various  parts  of  the  Commonwealth,  from  the  sea- 
shore to  the  western  line.  Of  the  whole  number  examined,  220 
were  (own  or  stale  paupers,  and  mostly  kept  in  ihe  alms-houses. 
These  will  be  first  spoken  of." 

"  They  are  of  all  sorts  and  grades  of  idiocy,  from  the  mere 
simpleton,  who  has  speech  and  some  intelligence,  though  not 
quite  enough  to  take  entire  care  of  himself,  or  his  own  aflairs, 


8  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

down  to  the  speechless  and  driveling  idiot,  who  has  no  thought, 
no  affection,  and  no  care  about  any  thing.  They  are  of  all  ages, 
from  the  child,  who  is  entering  upon  his  dark  and  cheerless 
pilgrimage  of  life,  without  more  thought  of  his  relations  with 
man,  or  his  duty  to  God,  than  a  young  animal,  up  to  the  old 
man,  who  is  closing  his  career  without  a  knowledge  of  the  joys 
and  sorrows  of  the  world  which  he  leaves  behind  him,  and 
without  a  thought  about  his  lot  in  that  before  him." 

"Some  being  comparatively  free  from  the  dominion  of  animal 
lust  and  appetite,  are  mild,  affectionate,  and  docile,  while 
others  arc  a  helpless  prey  to  dreadful  passions,  depraved  appe- 
tites, and  disgusting  propensities.  Some  are  evidently  sus- 
ceptible of  great  improvement;  they  desire  instruction,  and 
might,  with  care,  be  saved  from  the  terrible  fate  before  them  ; 
while  others  are  so  cruelly  blasted  in  the  very  bud,  are  so 
utterly  destitute  of  human  capacities, — are  such  complete  abor- 
tions,— that  little  can  be  done  except  to  render  their  animal 
existence  as  decent  and  comfortable  as  possible." 

"  But  greatly  as  the  bodily  and  mental  condition  of  these  poor 
creatures  varies,  and  whatever  may  be  their  capacity  for  im- 
provement, their  treatment  and  their  fate  are,  for  the  most  part, 
the  same.  They  need  more  careful  treatment,  more  judicious 
associates,  and  more  skilful  training,  than  any  other  persons; 
for,  even  with  all  these  advantages,  their  chance  for  develop- 
ment of  their  human  faculties,  and  their  restoration  to  human 
society,  is  small;  what  then  can  it  be,  when,  deprived  of  them, 
and  thrust  into  the  almshouses,  they  are  left  without  any 
special  care  and  instruction,  to  associate  with  ignorant  paupers 
and  broken  down  drunkards?" 

Treatment  of  Idiots  in  the  Almshouses. 

"  With  very  few  exceptions,  they  are  kindly  treated  in  the 
almshouses.  There  is  reason  to  believe  that  a  great  change  has 
been  made  for  the  better,  in  this  respect,  within  a  few  years. 
The  interest  that  has  been  manifested  in  lunatics,  and  the  sub- 
stitution of  kindness  and  moral  influence,  for  the  hard  treatment 
and  blows,  which  were  formerly  so  common,  have  been  of 
benefit  to  idiots  also.  Thus  we  see  that  good  is  contagious  as 
well  as  evil;  and  kindness   and  love,  extended  to  one  class  of 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  9 

men,  is  sure  to  benefit  others.  Tu  many  places,  it  was  found, 
that  the  partial  report  made  by  your  commissioners,  the  last 
year,  had  been  received  and  read  by  keepers  of  almshouses ; 
and  that  they  had  changed  their  views  with  regard  to  the  best 
mode  of  treating  idiocy,  in  consequence  of  the  statements  there 
put  forth.  It  is  gratifying  to  be  able  to  state,  that  no  instance 
of  cruel  or  wilfully  unkind  treatment  of  idiots,  by  the  keepers 
of  any  almshouses  were  met  with.  In  most  cases,  the  over- 
seers of  the  poor  have  given  orders  for  the  idiots  to  be  treated 
with  kindness.  In  a  few  instances,  men  of  strong,  natural 
sense  and  of  humanity,  reflecting  that  idiots  of  the  lowest  grade 
do  not  differ  materially  in  intelligence  from  the  higher  animals, 
have  ceased  to  blame  or  punish  them,  for  waywardness  or  mis- 
behavior, any  more  than  they  would  punish  animals  for  the 
like  causes,  and  they  have  substituted  kindness  of  treatment 
and  constant  employment  for  the  old  modes  of  punishment  and 
confinement.  But  though  there  is  little  or  no  in(en((0?ial cruc\ty 
or  unkindness  practised  towards  idiots  in  our  almshouses,  there 
is,  in  many  cases,  a  most  deplorable  ignorance  of  their  true 
condition  and  wants,  which  leads  to  serious  consequences." 

Many  a  child  who  was  only  simple,  and  whom  kind  and 
wise  parents  might  have  trairted  up  to  intelligent  manhood,  on 
becoming  an  orphan,  has  been  thrown  into  the  almshouse,  and 
there  neglected  and  mismanaged,  until  the  feeble  light  of  reason 
has  gone  out,  and  left  him  in  the  darkness  and  hopelessness  of 
idiocy.  A  great  many  half-witted  persons,  when  first  sent  to 
the  almshouses,  have  vicious  and  debasing  habits,  which  might 
be  cured,  but  which  are  generally  neglected  and  allowed  to 
grow  rampant,  until  all  moral  sense  and  all  decency  are  gone, 
and  the  poor  victims  become  driveling  idiots.  In  some  alms- 
houses, from  want  of  sufficient  force  of  character  on  the  part  of 
the  keepers,  or  from  want  of  sufficient  help  to  enforce  the  dis- 
cipline, the  unfortunate  idiots  are  the  butts  of  the  rest  of  the 
inmates.  In  some  such  cases,  they  are  not  only  grossly  mis- 
managed, but  terribly  abused  by  the  pauper  inmates. 

Sometimes,  for  want  of  proper  buildings,  the  separation  of 
the  sexes  cannot  be  strictly  maintained,  and,  of  course,  the 
whole  moral  atmosphere  of  the  house  is  tainted. 

What  hope  can  there  be,  in   such  cases,  for  the  poor  youth 
who  is  partially  idiotic ;    what  prospect   is  there  for  him,  but 
2 


10  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

that  of  gradually  sinking  down  to  the  level  of  the  brutes  7  Is 
such  the  manner  in  which  the  public  should  discharge  the 
sacred  responsibility  which  devolves  upon  it,  when  it  assumes 
the  place  and  the  duties  of  parent  and  guardian  to  the  orphan 
and  destitute  1 

The  report  goes  on  to  a  consideration  of  the  various  ways 
in  which  the  condition  of  idiots  is  made  worse  by  the  inju- 
dicious treatment  they  receive  in  the  almshouses  ;  under  the 
head  of  cleanliness,  it  is  said  : — 

"Some  keepers  of  almshouses  seem  to  think  that  a  man  need 
be  washed  only  twice  in  this  world, — once  by  the  nurse  before 
she  puts  on  his  swaddling-clothes,  and  once  again  before  she 
puts  on  his  grave-clothes.  They  are  confirmed,  perhaps,  in 
this,  by  the  flippant  wise-acres,  who,  wrapped  complacently  in 
a  year's  coating  of  scurf,  say  that  a  man  must  be  a  dirty  fellow 
who  needs  bathing  every  day." 

"If  the  almshouse  is  far  removed  from  any  pond  or  river,  in 
which  the  inmates  bathe  for  pleasure  during  the  hot  weather, 
the  only  ablutions  required  of  them  are  performed  by  dipping 
,the  hands  daily  in  cold  water,  and  rubbing  them  over  the  face; 
and  on  Sunday,  perhaps,  by  working  down  with  a  httle  soap,  to 
4he  white  skin  about  the  neck  and  ears." 

"Now  cleanliness  is  of  especial  importance  to  idiots.  Like 
other  persons,  they  need  it  as  one  of  the  minor  virtues  of  mo- 
rality; as  a  virtue  which  is  essential  to  decent  self-respect,  and 
as  a  means  of  preserving  and  restoring  health.  Moreover,  they, 
in  an  especial  manner,  require  the  frequent  shock  of  cold  water 
upon  the  surface  of  the  body,  as  a  direct  aid  to  other  attempts 
which  should  be  constantly  made  for  increasing  their  command 
over  the  action  of  the  voluntary  muscles.  The  want  of  power 
over  the  nerves  and  muscles  is  often  one  of  the  most  striking 
features  of  idiocy.  It  is  sometimes  so  great  that  idiots  cannot 
hold  themselves  erect.  The  restoration  of  the  increase  of  this 
power  should  always  be  kept  in  view  in  their  hygienic  treat- 
ment. The  total  neglect  of  all  these  considerations,  and  the 
filthy  condition  of  body  in  which  these  orphans  are  kept  by  the 
public,  who  is  their  guardian,  is  one  of  the  many  indications  of 
the  necessity  of  a  change  in  their  condition." 

Another  is  found  in  gross  errors  which  are  so  common  with 
respectto  the 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  11 

Alimentation,    or   Feeding   of   Idiots. 

Every  one  who  is  at  all  conversant  with  physiology,  knows 
the  importance  of  adapting  the  diet  to  the  nature  and  condition 
of  the  bodily  organization.  What  is  good  for  one  man  may  be 
very  bad  for  another.  A  quantity  which  one  man  can  consume 
with  benefit  to  himself,  during  a  year  spent  in  the  open  air  and 
in  constant  exercise,  may,  if  consumed  in  a  year  of  sedentary 
and  idle  life,  be  laying  the  foundations  of  fatal  disease. 

The  man  whose  brain  and  nervous  system  are  in  a  high 
state  of  activity,  should  use  animal  food  very  differently  from 
the  man  whose  brain  is  sluggish,  and  whose  muscular  system 
is  largely  developed.  Now,  the  farther  a  man's  system  is  from 
the  normal  standard  of  health,  the  more  caution  is  required  in 
regard  to  his  diet.  An  error  or  an  excess,  which  a  healthy  man 
hardly  feels,  affects  a  feeble  one  severely. 

Idiots  are  almost  always  in  an  abnormal  condition  of  health. 
Their  diet  may  be  such  as  to  amend  this  condition, — to  increase 
the  tone  and  vigor  of  the  nervous  centres, — or  it  may  be  such  as 
to  produce  exactly  the  opposite  effect,  and  to  aggravate  all  their 
troubles. 

Unfortunately,  the  considerations  named  above,  are  seldom, 
if  ever,  regarded  in  our  almshouses,  and  the  idiots  are  fed  just 
as  the  other  paupers  are. 

"A  weak,  nervous,  and  idle  idiot,  to  whom  gross  animal  food 
is  like  poison,  is  fed  upon  fat  pork,  whenever  pork  is  cooked  for 
the  hearty  laborers  who  have  been  working  out  in  the  fields. 
Moreover,  idiots  are  apt  to  have  morbid  appetites,  which  lead 
them  to  devour  any  thing  that  they  can  lay  hands  upon. 
Instead  of  treating  these  morbid  appetites  as  diseases,  the 
keepers  sometimes  punish  the  idiots,  with  about  as  much  reason 
as  they  would  beat  a  man  who  had  the  jaundice,  for  seeing 
things  yellow.  More  often,  however,  no  thought  is  bestowed 
about  their  diet,  and  the  unfortunate  creatures  sometimes  fill 
their  stomachs  with  the  most  injurious  substances." 

But  the  greatest  injury  arises  from  gross  ignorance  of  those 
principles  of  physiology  which  should  be  observed,  with  regard 
to  the  quantity  of  food  consumed  by  idiots.  The  animal  pro- 
pensities are  very  active  in  these  half  developed  beings.  They 
are  exceedingly  prone   to   gluttony,  and  if  allowed   to   eat  as 


12  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

much  as  they  choose,  they  will  so  gorge  themselves,  that  the 
whole  nervous  energy  will  be  expended  in  digesting,  and  none 
be  left  to  stimulate  the  brain  to  activity. 

"  By  reference  to  the  Tables  in  the  Appendix,  it  will  be  seen 
that,  out  of  444  idiots,  who  were  examined  upon  this  point,  280 
were  ravenous  in  their  appetites,  and  gluttonous  in  their  habits." 

"Representing  the  average  consumption  of  food  by  adults  by 
ten,  it  is  found  that,  among  these  idiots,  the  consumption  must 
be  represented  by  14|." 

"Our  idiots,  then,  are  overfed  ;  they  are  generally  allowed  to 
eat  as  much  as  they  choose  at  the  table,  and  then,  in  many 
cases,  they  prowl  about,  and  pick  up  what  they  can,  cheating 
even  the  pigs  by  stealing  the  apple-parings,  crusts,  and  the  like, 
from  the  swill-pail." 

Under  the  head  of  Exercise  the  report  says  : — 

"Another  striking  defect  in  the  treatment  of  idiots,  is  the 
neglect  of  regular  and  severe  exercise.  It  is  beginning  to  be 
seen,  in  a  few  almshouses,  that  if  a  man  is  kept  hard  at  work 
all  day,  he  is  not  only  less  mischievous,  but  he  lies  down  tired 
at  night,  and  sleeps  soundly  till  morning.  Some  of  the  keepers 
of  the  houses  having  the  ability  to  address  the  proper  motives  to 
their  half-witted  inmates,  contrive  to  keep  them  constantly  em- 
ployed, and  the  effect  is  soon  seen  in  their  improved  bodily  and 
mental  condition.  But,  as  in  common  schools,  some  masters  of 
superior  ability  and  tact  can  preserve  order  and  promote  dihgent 
study,  by  appeals  to  high  motives,  while  others  can  only  do  so 
by  blows  upon  the  soul  and  blows  upon  the  body;  so  some 
masters  of  almshouses  are  followed  round  to  any  work,  and 
fawned  upon,  by  idiots,  as  dogs  fawn  upon  a  beloved  master, 
while  others  can  extort  from  them  only  a  scanty  task,  by  scold- 
ing and  by  stripes." 

"  It  is  beginning  to  be  so  well  understood,  that  beating,  and 
punishment  of  any  kind,  inflicted  upon  idiots  with  the  view  to 
making  them  work,  is  bad  policy,  that  the  Overseers  of  the  Poor, 
in  most  towns,  have  forbidden  the  keepers  of  almshouses  to 
resort  to  them.  Some  have  done  so,  doubtless,  from  feelings  of 
humanity,  but  others  from  considerations  of  economy;  for  they 
say,  the  time  and  pains  necessary  to  be  expended  by  keepers 
and  overseers,  are  not  paid  for  by  the  reluctant  labor  performed 
by  the  idiots.     The  consequence  is,  that  the  poor  creatures  are 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  13 

left  in  the  house,  or  yard,  while  the  keepers  and  the  able-bodied 
men  are  away,  at  work  upon  the  "  poor's  farm."  Of  course,  the 
idiots  are  called  upon  by  the  women  to  do  small  chores,  which 
they  perform  in  a  slip-shod  manner ;  or  they  are  made  game 
of  by  the  lazy  lubbers,  who  are  found  in  every  poor-house ;  or 
they  bask  in  the  sun,  and  indulge  in  unseemly  habits." 

"As  for  instruction,  there  is  not  a  single  almshouse  within  our 
knowledge,  we  believe  there  is  not  one  in  the  Sate,  or  country, 
in  which  any  systematic  attempts  are  made  to  develop  the 
feeble  mental  and  moral  faculties  of  idiots;  in  a  word,  there  is 
no  school  for  those  who,  more  than  all  others,  need  one." 

"  On  the  whole,  then,  after  excepting  five  or  six  almshouses, 
in  which  the  idiots  are  treated  both  kindly  and  wisely,  the 
general  condition  of  those  at  the  public  charge  is  most  deplora- 
ble. They  are  filthy,  gluttonous,  lazy,  and  given  up  to  abomi- 
nations of  various  kinds.  They  not  only  do  not  improve,  but 
they  sink  deeper  and  deeper, — while  under  the  public  care. — 
into  bodily  depravity  and  mental  degradation.  It  is  true  that 
this  is  the  result  of  ignorance,  rather  than  of  any  unkindness; 
but  the  plea  of  ignorance  can  no  longer  save  us  from  the  sin  and 
disgrace." 

The  report  then  proceeds  to  notice  the  Condition  of  Idiots  in 
Private  Families,  and  says  : — 

"  Bad,  however,  as  is  the  condition  of  the  idiots  who  are  at 
public  charge,  and  gross  as  is  the  ignorance  of  those  who  take 
the  charge  of  them,  about  their  real  wants  and  capacities,  we  are 
constrained  to  say,  that  the  condition  of  those  in  private  houses 
is,  generally  speaking,  still  worse,  and  the  ignorance  of  the 
relatives  and  friends  who  support  them,  is  still  more  pro- 
found." 

"  This  is  not  to  be  wondered  at,  when  we  consider  that  idiots 
are  generally  born  of  a  very  poor  stock, — of  parents  who  are 
subject  to  some  disorders  of  the  brain,  or  who  are  themselves 
scrofulous  and  puny,  to  the  last  degree.  Such  persons  are, 
generally,  very  feeble  in  intellect,  poor  in  purse,  and  intemperate 
in  habits.  A  great  many  of  them  are  hardly  able  to  take  care 
of  themselves.  They  are  unfit  to  teach  or  train  common  chil- 
dren; how  much  less  idiots,  whose  education  is  the  most  diffi- 
cult of  all !  On  the  other  hand,  the  masters  of  almshouses,  and 
their  wives,  are,  generally,  intelligent  and  responsible  persons ; 


14  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

and,  though  they  are,  of  course,  ignorant  of  the  art  of  training 
idiots,  they  will  not  permit  such  gross  errors  as  are  common 
among  the  parents  of  idiotic  children." 

"  We  have  ascertained  (mainly  by  personal  observation)  the 
condition  of  355  idiotic  persons,  who  are  not  town  or  state  pau- 
pers. Of  these,  there  may  be,  at  the  most,  five  who  are  treated 
very  judiciously,  are  taught  by  wise  and  discreet  persons, 
and  whose  faculties  and  capacities  are  developed  to  their  fullest 
extent." 

"The  rest  are,  generally,  in  a  most  deplorable  condition,  as  it 
respects  their  bodily,  mental,  and  moral  treatment.  One  would 
hardly  be  credited,  if  he  should  put  down  half  the  instances  of 
gross  ignorance  manifested  by  parents,  in  this  enlightened  com- 
munity, in  the  treatment  of  idiotic  children.  Sometimes  they 
find  that  the  children  seem  to  comprehend  what  they  hear,  but 
soon  forget  it ;  hence  they  conclude  that  the  brain  is  soft,  and 
cannot  retain  impressions,  and  then  they  cover  the  head  with 
cold  poultices  of  oak-bark,  in  order  to  tan,  or  harden  the  fibres. 
Others,  finding  that  it  is  exceedingly  difllcult  to  make  any  im- 
pression upon  the  mind,  conclude  that  the  brain  is  too  hard, 
and  they  torture  the  poor  child  with  hot  and  softening  poultices 
of  bread  and  milk;  or  they  plaster  tar  over  the  whole  skull,  and 
keep  it  on  for  a  long  time." 

"  These  are  innocent  applications  compared  with  some,  which, 
doubtless,  render  weak-minded  children  perfectly  idiotic.  In 
the  Appendix  will  be  found  ten  cases,  where  children  were  sup- 
posed to  have  had  their  minds  enfeebled  by  excessive  use  of 
strong  medicines,  especially  calomel.  This  is  sometimes  given 
with  the  view  oi  mending  the  condition  of  the  brain,  and  some- 
times with  the  view  of  healing  scrofulous  ulcers.  They  say, 
that  mercury  administered  plentifully  within,  will  act  as  a 
solder,  and  ^solder  uji  the  ojpenings.^  " 

"Worse  still,  are  the  numerous  cases  where  the  parents  en- 
courage the  ravenous  gluttony  of  their  children,  by  all  sorts  of 
stimulants  to  the  appetite.  They  say,  "the  poor  creatures  have 
few  things  which  they  can  enjoy  in  this  world, — that  food  is 
one  of  these,  and  that  they  shall  have  as  much  as  they  can  eat 
of  it." 

In  some  families  which  are  degraded  by  drunkenness  and 
vice,  there  is  a  degree  of  combined  ignorance  and  depravity 
which   disgraces  humanity.     It  is  not  wonderful  that  feeble- 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  15 

minded  children  arc  born  in  such  famihes  ;  or,  being  born,  that 
many  of  them  become  idiotic.  Out  of  this  class,  domestics 
are  sometimes  taken  by  thpse  in  better  circumstances,  and  they 
make  their  employers  feel  the  consequences  of  suffering  igno- 
rance and  vice  to  exist  in  the  community. 

"  Nothing-can  afford  a  stronger  argument  in  favor  of  an  insti- 
tion  for  the  proper  training  and  teaching  of  idiots,  and  the 
dissemination  of  information  upon  the  subject,  than  the  striking 
difference  manifested  in  jthe  condition  of  the  few  children  who 
are  properly  cared  for,  and  judiciously  treated,  and  those  who 
are  neglected  or  abused.  There  are  cases  in  our  community,  of 
youths  who  are  idiotic  from  birth,  but  who,  under  proper  care 
and  training,  have  become  cleanly  in  person,  quiet  in  deport- 
ment, industrious  in  habits,  and  who  would  ahuost  pass  in  soci- 
ety for  persons  of  common  intelligence,  and  yet,  their  natural 
capacity  was  no  greater  than  that  of  others,  who,  from  ignorance, 
or  neglect  of  their  parents,  have  become  filthy,  gluttonous,  lazy, 
vicious,  depraved,  and  are  rapidly  sinking  into  driveling  idiocy. 
This  fact  alone  should  be  enough  to  encourage  the  State  to  take 
measures,  at  once,  for  the  establishment  of  a  school  or  institu- 
tion for  teaching  and  training  idiots,  if  it  were  but  a  matter  of 
experiment." 

Some  of  the  causes  of  idiocy  are  set  forth  in  the  report,  of 
which  we  shall  quote  but  two;  the  first  is  the  low  condition 
OF  THE  PHYSICAL  ORGANIZATION  of  ouc  Or  botli  parents ;  induced 
often  by  intemperance;   the  second   is,  the   intermarriage  of 

RELATIVES 

"It  is  said  by  physiologists,  that  among  certain  classes  of 
miserably  paid  and  poorly  fed  workmen,  the  physical  system 
degenerates  so  rapidly,  that  the  children  are  feeble  and  puny, 
and  but  few  live  to  maturity;  that  the  grand-children  are  still 
more  puny;  until,  in  the  third  or  fourth  generation,  the  indi- 
viduals are  no  longer  able  to  perpetuate  their  species,  and  the 
ranks  must  be  filled  up  by  tresh  subjects  from  other  walks  of 
life,  to  run.  perhaps,  the  same  round  of  deterioration.  It  would 
seem,  that  startled  nature,  having  given  warning,  by  the  degen- 
erated condition  of  three  or  four  generations,  at  last  refuses  to 
continue  a  race  so  monstrous  upon  the  earth.  We  see  here 
another  of  those  checks  and  balances  which  the  exhaustless 
wisdom  of  God   preestablished  in  the  very  nature  of  man,  to 


16  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

prevent  his  utler  degeneration.  As  the  comet,  rushing  headlong 
towards  the  sun,  is,  by  the  very  velocity  which  it  gains,  and 
which  seems  hurhng  it  into  the  burning  mass,  carried  safely 
beyond, — so  a  race  of  men,  abusing  the  power  of  procreation, 
may  rush  on  to  the  patli  of  deterioration,  until,  arrived  at  a 
certain  point,  a  new  principle  develops  itself,  the  procreating 
power  is  exhausted,  and  that  part  of  the  human  familjr  must 
perish,  or  regain  its  power  by  admixture  with  a  less  degenerate 
race." 

"  It  will  be  seen  by  the  Tables  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of 
idiots  are  children  of  parents,  one  or  both  of  whom  were  of 
scrofulous  temperament,  and  poor^  flabby  organization.  It  is 
difficult  to  describe  exactly  the  marks  which  characterize  this 
low  organization,  but  the  eye  of  a  physiologist  detects  it  at 
once." 

Regarding  it  as  a  matter  relating  to  the  mere  animal  man,  if 
a  farmer  had  swine,  cattle,  or  horses,  as  inferior  to  others  of 
their  kind,  as  many  of  these  people  are  inferior  to  other  men  and 
women,  he  would  pronounce  them  unfit  to  breed  from;  such 
persons  are  indeed  unfit  to  continue  the  species,  for  while  they 
multiply  its  number,  they  lessen  its  aggregate  power." 

The  report  states,  that  out  of  420  cases  of  congenital  idiocy, 
which  was  examined,  some  information  was  obtained  respect- 
ing the  condition  of  the  progenitors  of  359.  Now,  in  all  these 
359  cases,  save  only  four,  it  is  found  that  one  or  the  other,  or 
both,  of  the  immediate  progenitors  of  the  unfortunate  sufl!erer 
had,  in  some  way,  widely  departed  from  the  normal  condition 
of  health,  and  violated  the  natural  laws.  That  is  to  say,  one 
or  the  other,  or  both  of  them,  had  been  very  unhealthy  or  scrofu- 
lous ;  or  hereditarily  predisposed  to  affections  of  the  brain, 
causing  occasional  insanity;  or  had  intermarried  with  blood 
relatives;  or  had  been  intemperate;  or  had  been  guilty  of  sen- 
sual excesses  which  impair  the  constitution. 

This  subject  of  the  hereditary  transmission  of  diseased  ten- 
dency is  of  vast  importance,  but  it  is  a  difficult  one  to  treat, 
because  a  squeamish  delicacy  makes  people  avoid  it;  but  if 
ever  the  race  is  to  be  relieved  of  a  tithe  of  the  bodily  ills  which 
flesh  is  now  heir  to,  it  must  be  by  a  clear  understanding  of,  and 
a  willing  obedience  to  the  law  which  makes  the  parents  the 
blessing  or  the  curse  of  the  children  ;  the  givers  of  strength 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  17 

and  vigor,  and  beauty,  or  the  dispensers  of  debility,  and  disease, 
and  deformity.  It  is  by  the  lever  of  enlightened  parental  love, 
more  than  by  any  other  power,  that  mankind  is  to  be  raised  to 
the  highest  attainable  point  of  bodily  perfection. 

Seeking  for  the  cause  of  the  low  condition  of  the  bodily 
organization,  the  report  shows  that  a  fertile  one  may  be  found 

in 

Intemperance. 

"Probably,  the  habitual  use  of  alcoholic  drinks,  does  a  great 
deal  to  bring  families  into  that  low  and  feeble  condition  of  body 
alluded  to  as  a  prolific  cause  of  idiocy.  By  inspection  of  the 
Tables,  it  will  be  seen  that  out  of  three  hundred  and  fifty-nine 
idiots,  the  condition  of  whose  progenitors  was  ascertained, — 
ninety-nine  were  the  children  of  drunkards.  But  this  does  not 
tell  the  whole  story,  by  any  means.  By  drunkard,  is  meant  a 
person  who  is  a  notorious  and  habitual  sot.  Many  persons  who 
are  habitually  intemperate  do  not  get  this  name,  even  now, 
much  less  would  they  have  done  so  twenty-five  or  thirty  years 
ago;  and  many  of  the  parents  of  the  persons  named  in  the 
Tables  have  been  dead  longer  than  that  time.  A  quarter  of  a 
century  ago,  a  man  might  go  to  his  bed  every  night  muddled 
and  sleepy  with  the  effects  of  alcohol,  and  still  not  be  called  an 
intemperate  man.  The  men  who,  in  that  day,  abstained  from 
alcoholic  drinks,  were  remarkable  exceptions  to  the  general  rule  ; 
they  would  be  known;  we  shall  come  nearer  to  a  true  estimate, 
therefore,  by  ascertaining  how  many  such  there  were.  By 
pretty  careful  inquiry,  with  an  especial  view  of  ascertaining 
the  number  of  idiots  of  the  lowest  class,  whose  parents  were 
known  to  be  temperate  persons,  it  is  found  that  Jiot  one  quarter 
can  be  so  considered." 

"  The  effect  of  habitual  use  of  alcohol,  even  in  moderate  quan- 
tities, seems  to  be  to  lymphatise  the  whole  bodily  organization ; 
that  is,  to  diminish  the  proportion  of  the  fibrous  part  of  the  body 
— that  which  gives  enduring  strength,  and  to  make  the  lym- 
phatic or  the  watery  particles  to  abound  in  all  the  tissues.  The 
children  of  persons,  so  lymphatised,  are  apt  to  be  of  the  scrofu- 
lous character,  above  described ;  and  their  children  again  are 
very  apt  to  be  feeble  in  body  and  weak  in  mind.  Idiots,  fools, 
and  simpletons,  are  common  among  the  progeny  of  such  persons, 

either  in  the  first  or  second  generation.   Thus,  directly,  and  indi- 
o 


18  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

reclly,  alcohol  is  productive  of  a  great  proportion  of  the  idiocy 
which  now  burdens  the  Commonwealth.  If,  moreover,  one 
considers  how  many  children  of  intemperate  parents  there  are, 
who,  without  being  idiots,  are  deficient  in  bodily  and  mental 
energy,  and  predisposed,  by  their  very  organization,  to  have 
cravings  for  alcoholic  stimulants,  it  will  be  seen  what  an  im- 
mense burden  the  drinkers  of  one  generation  throw  upon  the 
succeeding  one.  Many  a  parent,  by  habitual  stimulus  ap- 
plied to  his  own  nervous  system,  forms  and  fashions  his  child  in 
such  wise,  that  he  is  more  liable,  much  more,  to  be  made  a  drunk- 
ard, by  the  ordinary  temptations  of  life,  than  the  child  of  a  tem- 
perate man  would  be,  even  if  living  from  his  youth  upward 
within  the  extraordinary  temptations  of  a  bar-room." 

"  It  is  probable  that  the  habitual  use  of  alcoholic  drinks,  does  a 
great  deal  towards  bringing  families  into  that  low  and  feeble 
condition  of  body  alluded  to,  in  the  foregoing  section,  as  a  pro- 
lific cause  of  idiocy,  or  feebleness  of  mind,  among  children." 

Another  cause,  set  down  in  the  report,  as  fertile  in  the  pro- 
duction of  idiocy,  or,  of  a  tendency  towards  it,  is 

Intermarriage  of  Relatives. 

"By  giving  this  as  one  of  the  remote  causes  of  idiocy,  it  is 
not  meant  that  even  in  a  majority  of  cases,  the  ofispring  of 
marriage  between  cousins,  or  other  near  relations,  will  be  idiotic. 
The  cases  are  very  numerous  where  nothing  extraordinary  is 
observable  in  the  immediate  offspring  of  such  unions.  On  the 
other  hand,  there  are  so  many  cases  where  blindness,  deafness, 
insanity,  idiocy,  or  some  peculiar  bodily  or  mental  deficiency, 
or  a  manifest  tendency  and  liability  to  them,  is  seen  in  such  off- 
spring, that  one  is  forced  to  believe  they  cannot  be  fortuitous. 
Indeed,  the  inference  seems  to  be  inevitable,  that  such  inter- 
marriages are  violations  of  the  natural  law,  though  not  such 
flagrant  ones  as  always  to  be  followed  by  obvious  and  severe 
punishment." 

"If  two  full  cousins,  who  are  both  in  good  health,  and  free 
from  any  predisposition  or  tendency  to  any  particular  disease 
or  infirmity,  should  marry,  the  probabibility  is,  that  their  im- 
mediate offspring  will  have  tolerably  good  constitutions, — 
though  no  one  can  say  how  much   less  vigorous  in  body  and 


1850.]  SENATE— No.   38.  19 

mind  they  will  be,  than  offspring  born  to  either  parent  from  mar- 
riage with  some  one  of  a  healthy  family  not  related  by  blood." 

"  But,  on  the  other  hand,  if  a  man  in  whose  constitution  there 
lurks  a  predisposition  to  any  particular  disease  of  body  or  mind 
inherited  from  his  father's  family,  should  marry  a  daughter  of 
his /a^/ier'5  brother  or  sister,  there  would  be  a  strong  probability 
that  the  disease  or  infirmity  would  appear  in  the  offspring ; 
while  the  probability  of  such  reappearance  would  be  less,  if  he 
married  a  healthy  cousin  by  his  mother's  side,  and  still  less  if 
he  married  a  person  free  from  all  unheathy  predispositions, 
who  was  not  related  to  him  at  all." 

"  It  is  seen  by  the  Tables,  that,  out  of  359  cases,  in  which 
the  parentage  was  ascertained,  seventeen  were  known  to  be  the 
children  of  parents  nearly  related  by  blood.  But  as  many  of 
these  cases  were  adults,  it  was  impossible  to  ascertain,  in  some 
cases,  whether  their  parents,  who  are  dead,  were  related  or  not 
before  marriage.  From  some  collateral  evidence  we  conclude, 
that  at  least  three  more  cases  should  be  added  to  the  seventeen. 
This  would  shovv  that  more  than  one-twentieth  of  the  idiots 
examined,  are  offspring  of  the  marriage  of  relations.  Now,  as 
marriages  between  near  relations  are  by  no  means  in  the  ratio 
of  one  to  twenty,  nor  are  even,  perhaps,  as  one  to  a  thousand 
to  the  marriages  between  persons  not  related,  it  follows  that  the 
proportion  of  idiotic  progeny  is  vastly  greater  in  the  former  than 
in  the  latter  case — (that  is,  taking  this  limited  number  of  400 
for  what  little  it  is  worth,  as  data  for  calculation.)  Then  it 
should  be  considered,  that  idiocy  is  only  ojie  form  in  which 
nature  manifests  that  she  has  been  offended  by  such  intermar- 
riages. It  is  probable  that  blindness,  deafness,  imbecility,  and 
other  infirmities,  are  more  likely  to  be  the  lot  of  the  children 
of  parents  related  by  blood  than  of  others.  The  probability, 
therefore,  of  unhealthy  or  infirm  issue  from  such  marriages, 
becomes  fearfully  great,  and  the  existence  of  the  law  against 
them  is  made  out  as  clearly  as  though  it  were  written  on  tables 
of  stone.  The  statistics  of  the  seventeen  families,  the  heads  of 
which,  being  blood  relatives,  intermarried,  tells  a  fearful  tale." 

"  Most  of  the  parents  were  intemperate  or  scrofulous  ;  some 
were  both  the  one  and  the  other;  of  course,  there  were  other 
causes  to  increase  chances  of  infirm  offspring,  besides  that  of 
the   intermarriage.     There   were   born   imto   them   ninety-Jive 


20  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

children,  of  whom  forty  four  were  idiotic,  twelve  others  were 
scrofulous  and  puny,  one  was  deaf,  and  one  was  a  dwarf!  In 
some  cases,  all  the  children  were  either  idiotic  or  very  scrofu- 
lous and  puny.  In  one  family  of  eight  children,  five  were 
idiotic." 

The  report  then  goes  on  to  speak  at  great  length  of  the  gene- 
ral subject  of  idiocy,  and  to  give  many  statistical  tables ;  and 
concludes  in  these  words  : — 

"  We  have  thus  alluded  to  some  of  the  most  obvious  and  fer- 
tile causes  of  the  existence  of  such  a  great  number  of  idiots  as 
are  found  in  this,  and  all  other  countries,  called  civilized.  It 
would  swell  this  report  to  volumes,  to  examine  these  causes 
pathologically  and  minutely.  Scientific  research  has  not  been 
our  object,  but  we  have  sought  diligently  for  every  item  and 
scrap  of  knowledge  upon  the  subject  of  idiocy,  v^^hich  could  be 
of  practical  use  to  the  Legislature.  In  so  doing,  we  have  been 
obliged,  in  some  cases,  to  drag,  as  with  a  net,  the  lowest  depths 
of  society,  seeking  for  the  pearls  of  truth.  With  these  pearls 
there  may  be  much  worthless  trash,  but  this  will  all  perish, 
while  the  gems  will  remain  indestructible;  and  if  they  are  of 
value  enough  to  redeem  only  one  human  being  from  the  brutish- 
ness  of  idiocy,  our  labors  will  not  be  in  vain." 

This  report  was  not  without  its  effect.  Many  persons  became 
interested  in  the  subject;  and  the  Legislature,  ever  ready  to  lend 
its  aid  to  any  national  plan  for  promoting  the  cause  of  humanity, 
passed  the  following  resolutions. 

Resolved,  That  there  be  paid  out  of  the  treasury  of  the  Com- 
monwealth, a  sum,  not  exceeding  twenty-five  hundred  dollars, 
annually,  for  the  term  of  three  years,  for  the  purpose  of  training 
and  teaching  ten  idiotic  children,  to  be  selected  by  the  Governor 
and  Council,  from  those  at  public  charge,  or  from  the  families 
of  indigent  persons  in  different  parts  of  the  Commonwealth,  pro- 
vided that  an  arrangement  can  be  made  by  the  Governor  and 
Council  with  any  suitable  in^itution  now  patronized  by  the 
Commonwealth  for  charitable  purposes;  and,  provided,  that 
said  appropriation  shall  not  be  made  a  charge  upon  the  school 
fund. 

Resolved^  That  the  trustees  of  the  institution  undertaking  the 
instruction  and  training  of  said  idiots,  shall,  at  the  end  of  each 
and  every  year,  render  to  the  Governor  and  Council  an  accouot 


1850.]  SENATE— No.   38.  21 

of  the  actual  expense  incurred  on  account  of  said  idiots ;  and  if  the 
amount  expended  shall  be  less  than  the  sum  received  from  the 
public  treasury,  the  unexpended  balance  shall  be  deducted  from 
the  amount  of  the  next  annual  appropriation. 

Resolved,  That  the  said  trustees  shall  be  authorized  to  require 
that  the  authorities  of  any  town  which  may  send  any  idiot 
pauper  to  them  for  instruction,  be  required  to  keep  them  sup- 
plied with  comfortable  and  decent  clothing. 

Approved  by  the  Governor  May  8th,  1848. 

Agreeably  to  the  spirit  of  these  resolutions,  arrangements 
were  made  by  the  Governor  with  the  Trustees  of  the  Institu- 
tion for  the  Blind,  to  assume  the  responsibility  for  the  proper 
expenditure  of  the  money  appropriated  by  the  State. 

As  the  plan  was  conceived  in  the  spirit  of  humanity,  and  in 
view  of  the  good  of  a  most  unhappy  class  of  men,  the  trustees 
were  willing  that  every  aid  which  their  Institution  could  afford, 
without  injustice  to  the  Blind,  should  be  given  freely ;  and,  for 
my  part,  as  head  of  the  Institution,  I  was  glad  to  devote  to  this 
kindred  work,  all  the  time  and  attention  that  could  be  spared 
from  other  duties. 

There  was  more  fitness,  perhaps,  in  the  selection  than  was 
apparent  at  first  sight.  The  enterprise  was  new.  None  of  the 
Common  Schools  of  the  State  could  undertake  the  task  of  teach- 
ing idiots,  because  they  had  not  the  means  of  proper  trainings 
which  must  precede  such  teaching.  The  State  Asylum  for 
Lunatics  had  no  proper  accommodation  for  a  separate  class  of 
youth,  and  no  school  for  their  instruction. 

There  had  been,  in  this  Institution,  rare  opportunities  for 
teaching  persons  whose  peculiar  infirmities  cut  them  off  from 
access  to  common  modes  of  instruction.  There  had  been  also 
several  cases  were  blindness  was  accompanied  with  feebleness 
of  intellect  approaching  to  idiocy;  and  the  degree  of  success 
which  had  crowned  the  effort  to  instruct  the  sufferers,  gave  a 
portion  of  the  knowledge  and  faith  necessary,  to  those  who 
would  have  the  management  of  the  new  experiment.  To  this, 
perhaps,  should  be  added,  what,  even  without  any  considera- 
tion, would  show  the  fitness  of  the  measure,  that  it  did  not  seem 
to  be  the  duty  of  any  one  in  particular  to  undertake  what  was 
generally  deemed  a  hopeless  task  ;  and  that  none  coveted  it  for 
themselves. 


22  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

The  enterprise  was  began  with  an  understanding  of  its  diffi- 
culties, and  with  a  consciousness  that  it  might  be  considered,  by 
many,  a  failure,  even  if  were  really  successful,  because  the 
progress  and  improvement  of  a  class  of  idiots,  would  be  so  very 
slow  and  small,  when  compared  with  that  of  a  class  of  ordinary 
children,  as  to  be  overlooked  by  common  observers. 

Some  objected  to  the  plan  on  account  of  the  little  good  that 
could  be  effected;  but  they  were  not  more  fully  aware  of  the 
limited  nature  of  the  idiot's  powers,  than  those  who  thus  un- 
dertook to  improve  to  the  utmost  his  poor  single  talent,  simply 
because  it  is  poor  and  single,  rather  than  bury  it,  and  defraud 
Him,  who  lent  it,  of  a  penny  of  the  usury  which  is  strictly  His 
due. 

Some  of  the  objectors  were  persons  of  intelligence  and  wealth  ; 
but  if  there .^hould  be  born  to  them  an  idiotic  child,  though  ever 
so  infirm  of  body,  and  feeble  in  mind,  they  would  spare  no 
money,  and  no  pains  to  strengthen  its  weakness,  to  prolong  its 
flickering  life  to  the  utmost  span,  and  to  kindle  its  faint  spark  of 
intelligence  into  a  flame,  though  ever  so  feeble.  But  these 
wretched  creatures,  who  were  to  be  taken  from  the  almshouses, 
are  the  children  of  the  State;  and  is  not  Massachusetts  as 
rich,  as  intelligent,  and  as  humane,  as  any  parent  within  her 
borders? 

She  has  manifested  her  disposition  to  do  something  by  insti- 
tuting this  experimental  school ;  and  it  may  be  well  to  state 
here  what  is  expected  as  the  result  of  it,  if  it  should  succeed 
according  to  the  hopes  of  its  friends,  and  be  the  means  of 
bringing  the  whole  class  of  idiots  under  observation  and  care. 

In  the  first  placQ.  the  process  of  deterioration  and  degradation 
which  they  undergo,  in  almost  all  cases,  will  be  arrested. 

This  is  a  very  important  matter,  and  should  demand  the 
attention  of  humane  men.     It  may  be  well  then  to  consider 

The  Tendency  of  Idiocy  to  Grow  Worse  if  Neglected. 

Idiots  are  now,  for  the  most  part,  left  to  vegetate  in  idleness 
and  ignorance.  Nothing  being  done,  in  a  systematic  and  scien- 
tific manner,  to  improve  their  condition,  it  almost  certainly 
grows  worse.  Their  animal  appetites  and  propensities  become 
developed,  and  grow  terribly  strong,  because  no  other  part  of 
their  nature  is  developed  to  counterbalance  them.  They  are  apt 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  23 

to  become  filthy  in  person  and  habit;  depraved  in  their  tastes, 
mischievous  in  their  dispositions.  They  sink  lower  and  lower 
in  the  slough  of  degradation,  presenting  a  painful  and  demoral- 
izing spectacle  during  the  short  and  wretched  lives  which  they 
live. 

This  will  be  clear  enough  from  the  consideration,  that  in 
ordinary  persons  the  indulgence  of  the  appetites  of  the  body, 
unless  restrained  by  the  development  of  the  moral  sentiments 
within  the  man,  leads,  inevitably,  to  degradation;  but  the  poor 
idiot,  if  left  to  himself,  will  never  develop  those  sentiments; 
the  fires  of  passion  will  rage,  until  they  have  burned  out  every 
vestige  of  humanity  there  ever  was  within  him.  In  the  case  of 
ordinary  youth,  we  may  perhaps  counteract  this  downward  ten- 
dency, by  moral  means, — by  appeals  to  the  moral  sense;  but  the 
poor  idiot  has  no  moral  sense;  he  once  had  moral  capacities^  per- 
haps he  still  has  them,  but  they  have  never  been  developed.  We 
must  consider  his  case  then,  and  all  cases  of  the  kind  where  the 
propensities  are  ungovernable,  physiologically ;  and  the  physi- 
ological explanation  of  this  tendency  to  deterioration  seem  to  be 
this  :— 

In  all  healthy  bodies,  there  is  generated  everyday,  (especially 
during  the  hours  of  sleep,)  a  certain  amount  of  nervous  stimulus, 
— animal  spirit, — animal  magnetism, — or  call  it  what  we  may. 
This  stock  of  nervous  stimulus,  the  quantity  of  which  varies 
greatly  in  various  individuals,  and  in  the  same  individual  in  vari- 
ous conditions  of  health,  is  to  the  body ,  what  steam  is  to  the  engine, 
and  it  ought  to  be  expended  in  stimulating  the  various  organs 
of  the  body,  to  the  performance  of  their  various  functions;  the 
due  share  being  applied  to  each  one, — the  stomach, — the  mus- 
cles, the  brain,  &c.  Nature  allows  a  certain  margin  of  oscilla- 
tion in  this  as  in  other  things,  but  excess  is  always  followed  by 
evil ;  if  too  much  of  this  nervous  stimulus  has  been  expended 
upon  the  muscular  system,  as  in  long  and  violent  exercise,  there 
is  not  enough  left  for  the  stomach  to  digest  a  full  meal ;  the 
system  must  rest  until  more  nervous  stimulus  is  generated,  or 
else  an  indigestion  follows. 

Again,  if  the  stomach  is  using  up  an  undue  share  of  this 
nervous  stimulus  to  digest  a  heavy  meal,  there  is  not  enough 
left  to  stimulate  the  brain  to  action ;  we  cannot  think,  we  can- 
not labor, — we  nod.     If,  by  violent  efibrt,  we  divert  the  cur- 


24  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

rent  from  the  stomach  to  the  brain,  the  stomach  suffers,  and  the 
digestion  is  impaired. 

The  expenditure  of  this  stock  of  nervous  stimulus  is  placed, 
in  a  great  measure,  at  the  individual's  discretion  ;  and  if  a  man 
habitually  expends  an  undue  proportion  of  it  in  the  performance 
or  any  particular  function,  he  may  strengthen  that,  but  he 
weakens  all  the  others,  and  the  longer  the  habit  is  continued, 
the  less  able  they  become  to  resume  the  performance  of  their 
functions.  The  gladiator  starves  his  brain  to  feed  his  muscles ; 
the  student  starves  his  muscles  to  feed  his  brain  ;  until,  by  and 
by,  the  one  cannot  think,  and  the  other  cannot  strike  harder 
than  a  little  child. 

Now  the  same  doctrine  is  true  of  the  dlvisiotis  of  the  brain, 
and  of  their  functions ;  some  are  the  organs  of  the  animal  ap- 
petites and  propensities, — some,  of  the  moral  sentiment, — some, 
of  the  intellectual  faculties.  If  the  nervous  stimulus  is  expended 
mainly  upon  the  functions  of  the  first,  then  the  intellect  and  the 
moral  sentiment  get  stinted ;  they  have  not  enough  exercise ;  and 
they  cannot  grow.     Further,  however,  than  this;  habits  of  rest 
beget  desire  of  rest,  and  finally  inability  to  act.    Habits  of  over- 
activity beget  desire  of  further  activity,  and,  at  last,  craving, 
which  cannot  be  resisted.    The  long  over-worked  brain  will  not 
be  quiet ;  it  will  not  go  to  sleep, — it  becomes  deranged.     The 
long  gratified  propensities  become  clamorous  for  more  gratifica- 
tion long  after  the  means  of  giving  it  are  exhausted ;  they  bay 
at  the  heels  of  him  who  was  their  master  ;  and,  at  last,  like  the 
hounds  of  Actseon,  devour  him  alive.     In  this  sense  it  is,  that 
the  activity  of  the  animal  part  of  his  nature,  during  the  abey- 
ance to  the  higher  parts  of  his  nature,  is  continually  rendering 
the  uninstructed  idiot  more  and  more  violent  in  his  appetites 
and  propensities,  and  less  and  less  capable  of  any  development 
of  his  intellect  or  of  his  sentiments.     The  exercise  of  the  former 
is  ever  giving  to  them   greater  activity  and  strength,  at  the  ex- 
pense of  the  latter,  which  grow  less  and  less  capable  of  action, 
until,  at  last,   all  possibility  of  their   being  brought  into   ac- 
tivity is  gone.     The  balance  is  lost  entirely,  so  that  nothing 
remains  of  the  man.  What  were  capacities  iri  youth,  have  ceased 
to  be  so,  and  only  the  animal  remains. 

It  would  seem  that  the  preservation   of  the  true  balance  in 
this  expenditure  of  nervous  stimulus  is  important  to  health  ;  at 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  3S.  26 

anv  rate,  the  loss  of  it  to  the  idiots  is  a  very  serious  loss,  even  if 
it  be  not  the  cause  that  a  great  majority  of  them  die  so  young. 
Those,  however,  who  grow  to  manhood,  especially  those  in 
our  almshouses,  sink  lower  and  lower  in  degradation  as  they 
advance  in  years.  This,  surely,  should  not  be  ;  if  no  one  else 
will  prevent  it  the  State  should.  They  were  born  with  capaci- 
ties for  improvement, — let  not  these  be  extinguished  ;  they  were 
born  tdiols  only, — let  them  not  die  hnites  !  This  doctrine,  that 
the  natural  tendency  of  great  and  unrestrained  activity  of  the 
appetites  and  propensities  is  to  increase  their  powers  more  and 
more,  and  to  hinder  the  development  of  the  higher  nature,  may 
be  objected  to  by  saying,  that  what  is  true  of  the  individual,  must 
be  true  of  the  race,  and  that,  as  these  appetites  and  propensities 
are  strong,  and  unrestrained  in  the  early  and  savage  state,  there 
should  be  deterioration  of  the  whole  race, — whereas,  in  truth, 
there  is  progress.  But  there  is  this  difference,  that  the  develop- 
ment and  character  of  the  individuals  in  question  is  dependent 
mainly  npon  others  immediately  around  him,  whereas,  the 
development  and  progress  of  the  race  is  dependent  upon  princi- 
ples planted  within  it  by  God,  and  maybe  hastened  or  hindered, 
but  not  stopped  by  human  action. 

In  the  barbarous  state  of  society,  the  appetites  and  propen- 
sities are  strong,  and  are  freely  indulged,  but  the  race  does 
not  recede  into  the  savage,  and  then  into  the  animal  con- 
dition, as  the  brutish  person  and  the  idiot  do,  because  of 
the  progressive  and  upward  tendency  innate  in  the  race,  as  a 
whole.  The  efforts  necessary  for  subsistence, — the  strife  with 
the  elements,  the  struggle  for  property  and  for  power,  call  into 
play  faculties,  which  are  higher  than  the  sensual  appetites,  and 
which  are  found  to  bring  even  higher  gratification ;  these 
faculties,  in  their  turn,  lead  insensibly  to  the  development  of 
the  social  affections,  which  bring  still  higher  gratifications;  and 
these  affections  again,  to  the  exercise  of  the  moral  sentiments 
and  the  crowning  virtues  of  humanity,  which,  once  tasted, 
give  the  highest  pleasure  of  all,  and  make  men  look  back, 
with  loathing,    upon   sensual  excesses. 

Thus  God  leads  the  race  gently  forward  by  a  series  of  re- 
wards which  increase  in  value  with  every  step  of  progress,  and 
which  work  as  a  check  to  any  backward-going  of  the  whole ; 
while  He  leaves  the  condition  of  each  man  to  himself  and  to  those 
4 


26  TRAliNING   IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

immediately  around  him.  A  man  may,  of  himself,  plunge  down- 
wards, and  pollute  his  own  soul, — but  he  cannot  drag  his  race 
down  with  him,  nor  even  stop  its  upward  flight.  The  idiot  has 
no  'self;' — and  God  will  not  save  him,  except  through  our 
efforts.  This  subject  has  been  thus  dwelt  upon,  because  it  is 
important  to  show  that,  by  a  proper  system,  there  may  be,  at 
least,  prevention  of  great  evil.  In  the  course  of  this  report 
it  will  be  shown  how  much  has  already  been  done  in  one  year 
for    the  individuals  who  have  been  taken  in  hand. 

But,  it  may  be  asked,  besides  arresting  the  downward  career 
of  this  unhappy  class,  what  can  and  what  cannot  be  reasonably 
hoped  for,  as  the  result  of  this  interference  with  their  condition? 
—or 

What  Objects  are  to  be  Aimed  at  in  Training  Idiots  ? 

It  is  not  expected  that  those  who  are  below  the  grade  of 
simpletons  will  ever  gain  such  acquaintance  with  the  com- 
mon branches  of  learning,  as  will  be  of  much  ornament  or  direct 
use  to  them.  It  is  not  expected  that  they  will  be  raised  to  a 
level  with  ordinary  persons,  or  play  an  independent  part  in  the 
world  and  take  care  of  themselves.  Great  pains  are  taken, 
indeed,  to  teach  them  to  read  simple  sentences, — to  count,  to 
write,  to  sing;  but  this  is  not  with  the  expectation  that  they 
will  ever  be  able  to  do  these  things  well,  or  have  any  direct 
benefit  from  them,  but  mainly  with  a  view  to  training  and 
strengthening  their  intellectual  faculties  by  exercise  in  the  at- 
tempt to  learn  them. 

If,  then,  it  is  not  expected  that  they  will  gain  any  truly 
profitable  knowledge,  even  of  the  elementary  branches  of  learn- 
ing, or  become  men,  even  of  the  most  ordinary  abilities, — what 
is  expected,  and  what  is  the  object  of  establishing  a  school  for 
them ;  and  what  is  l.he  end  and  aim  of  all  this  labor  and  expense  ? 
Much ;  much  every  way  is  expected ; — the  end  and  aim  are 
highly  important. 

Our  theory  is,  that  these  poor  creatures  possess  not  only  the 
instinct  and  propensities  which  man  has  in  common  with  the 
brutes,  but  that,  moreover,  they  possess  the  feeble  germs  of  those 
intellectual  faculties,  moral  sentiments,  and  social  affections 
which  in  man  are  superadded  to  his  animal  nature,  and  which 
-make  the  crowning  glory  of  humanity. 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  27 

A  few  of  the  idiots  have  really  feebler  perceptive  faculties 
than  dogs  and  monkies;  it  may  be,  that  with  ever  so  much 
instruction,  they  will  remain  inferior  to  those  brutes,  in  mere 
knowledge  ;  but  then  they  have  a  feeble  portion  of  that  light  of 
the  soul,  not  one  ray  of  which  could  ever  be  discovered  in  the 
nature  of  dogs  and  monkies,  were  they  trained  and  taught,  gen- 
eration after  generation  to  the  end  of  time. 

Now,  it  is  proposed  not  only  to  train  and  develop,  as  much 
as  possible,  the  feeble  intellectual  powers  of  the  idiot, -but  also, 
to  call  out  and  strengthen,  as  much  as  may  be,  the  dormant,  or 
feeble  capacities  of  every  part  of  his  nature.  The  most  of  them 
are  now  left  in  ignorance  and  in  idleness.  Nothing  being  done 
to  improve  their  condition,  of  course  it  must  grow  worse. 

It  is  proposed,  therefore,  to  show  our  reverence  for  God's 
plain  will,  and  to  acknowledge  the  common  brotherhood  of  man, 
by  taking  these,  the  most  unfortunate  of  His  children,  and  at- 
tempting to  lift  them  up  to  a  place,  humble  though  it  be,  upon 
the  common  platform  of  humanity. 

It  is  hoped  to  train  them  up  to  cleanliness  and  decency ;  to 
prevent,  or  root  out  vicious  and  debasing  habits ;  to  moderate 
their  gluttonous  appetites;  and  to  lessen  the  strength  of  the 
animal  nature,  generally,;Xby  calling  into  some  activity  the 
higher  feelings  and  desires,  and  by  substituting  constant  oc- 
cupation for  idleness. 

It  is  proposed  to  train  all  the  senses  and  perceptive  facul- 
ties by  constant  and  varied  exercise;  to  strengthen  the  power 
of  attention ;  to  teach,  as  much  as  possible,  the  rudiments  of 
knowledge;  to  develop  the  muscular  system;  and  to  give  some 
degree  of  dexterity  in  simple  handicraft.  Efforts  will  be  made 
to  call  out  their  social  affections,  and  to  lessen  their  inordinate 
selfishness,  by  awakening  some  feeling  of  regard  for  others,  in 
return  for  kindness  and  love  manifested  towards  them. 

The  still  harder  task  will  be  attempted  of  appealing  to  the 
moral  sense,  and  drawing  out  what  little  capacity  there  may 
exist  for  comprehending  right  for  exercising  conscience,  and 
for  developing  the  religious  sentiment. 

It  is  hoped  that  part  of  them  will  gain  some  really  useful 
knowledge ;  that  most  of  them  will  become  cleanly,  decent, 
temperate,  and  industrious;  and  that  all  of  them  will  be  better 
and  happier  from  the  efforts  made  in  their  behalf 


28  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

If  the  experiment  should  succeed,  the  good  done  to  the  ten 
individuals,  who  are  the  subjects  of  it,  compared  to  the  good 
that  must  follow  to  others,  will  be  as  the  grain  of  mustard  seed, 
to  the  goodly  tree,  in  whose  branches  the  fowls  of  the  air  find 
rest.  The  capacity  of  idiots  for  culture  once  shown,  Massachu- 
setts will  gather  them  from  the  almshouses  and  the  by-places, 
and  give  them  careful  nurture  and  instruction  :  and  when  Mas- 
sachusetts shall  show  to  her  sister  States  these  redeemed  ones, 
snatched  from  the  slough  of  brutishness,  and  made  tidy,  and 
decent,  and  industrious,  and  happy, — then  her  example  of  true 
and  practical  Christianity  will  be  followed  by  others;  and  thou- 
sands, who  are  now  groveling  in  filth,  and  depravity,  and 
wretchedness, — the  parias  of  civilization,  will  be  brought  back 
to  the  bosom  of  society,  and  treated  with  that  kindly  regard  to 
which  their  terrible  calamity  entitles  them. 

Commencement  OF  the  School. 

Three  years  was  the  period  fixed  upon  for  this  experiment, 
not  as  the  time  that  is  sufficient  for  training  and  teaching  idiots, 
to  the  extent  of  their  capacity,  but  as  the  shortest  time  in  which 
much  manifest  and  satisfactory  improvement  can  be  made  in 
their  bodily  and  mental  condition. 

One  year  of  the  three  years  has  already  been  spent  in  the  trial, 
and  the  result,  thus  far,  is  most  encouraging,  as  will  presently 
be  shown. 

The  first  thing,  was  to  procure  a  competent  instructor,  who 
should  devote  all  his  time  and  energies  to  the  new  and  difficult 
task :  for  this  purpose,  Mr.  James  B.  Richards  was  engaged. 
He  had  been  employed  for  many  years  as  a  teacher  in  Boston, 
and  possessed  many  of  the  necessary  qualities  in  an  eminent 
degree.  In  order  to  start  with  every  advantage  that  could 
be  had  from  the  experience  of  others,  Mr.  Richards  went  to 
Europe  to  learn,  by  personal  observation,  the  method  of  instruc- 
tion pursued  in  the  new  school  at  Paris.  It  proved,  indeed, 
that  there  was  little  or  nothing  to  be  learnt  there  about  the  prac- 
tical part  of  the  work,  that  ^vould  not  have  been  arrived  at 
here,  by  any  intelligent  person,  who  started  with  correct  views 
of  the  principle  which  underlies  the  whole  subject.  It  was 
something,  however,  to  know  even  that. 

;v'  Preparations  were  made   during   the  summer   of  1848,   for 
organizing  the  school  upon  the  plan  of  a  family.    Mrs.  McDon- 


1850.] 


SENATE— No.  38. 


29 


aid  a  kind  and  motherly  person,  and  most  efficient  house- 
keeper, was  engaged  as  matron,  and  she,  with  intelhgent  do- 
mestics, made  arrangements  for  receiving  the  children  into  a 
clean,  comfortable,  and  pleasant  home. 

Mr.  Richards  having  returned  in  the  autumn,  the  first 
scholars  were  received  in  October,  and  he  began  the  work  of 
instruction  with  zeal  and  vigor.  The  whole  number  received 
has  been  thirteen,  and  the  following  are  their  names  and 
ages  : — 

Albert  Fitz,  Aged  12,  Idiot  of  the  second  class.     ^ 


Sylvanus  W.  Walker, 
George  S.  Clapp, 
Warren  C.  Mantur, 
Oilman  Clough, 
George  T.  Rowell, 
Daniel  H.  Peatfield, 
Edmund  S.  Field, 
Charles  Davis, 
Wm.  F.  Soule, 
James  Winchester, 
Michael  Mahers, 
James  W.  Smith, 

Besides  these  beneficiar 


5,  Idiot  "    "    third         " 

8,  Idiot  "    "    first  " 
14,  Idiot  and  deranged. 

9,  Simpleton. 
9,  Idiot  of  the  third        " 
7,  Idiot  "    "      "  " 
7,  Idiot  "    "    second     " 

14,  Idiot  and  insane. 

6,  Idiot  and  hydrocephalic. 
9,  Idiot  of  the  third  class. 

12,  Idiot  and  deranged. 
11,  Idiot  of  the  third  class. 

ies  of  the  State,  three  private  pupils 
have  been  received ;  but  of  these  it  is  not  necessary  to  render 
an  account  here. 

One  of  the  State  pupils,  W.  F.  Soule,  was  found  to  be  hy- 
drocephalic, and  hopelessly  diseased  ;  another,  Charles  Davis, 
proved  to  be  insane,  and  incapable  of  instruction  in  a  class  ;  and 
another,  possessed  of  too  much  intellect  to  be  fairly  included 
among  idiots ;  they  were,  therefore,  all  discharged  soon  after 
admission. 

The  pupils  did  not  all  arrive  at  the  same  time ;  in  fact, 
there  was  so  much  delay,  that  the  school  could  not  be  said 
fairly  to  have  got  into  operation  for  sometime  after  its  nominal 
commencement. 

The  selection  was  not  made  with  sufficient  care,  as  was 
apparent  soon  after  the  boys  arrived.  Too  much  reliance  was 
placed  upon  the  description  given  of  them  by  othe'rs.  By  the 
endeavors  to  have  such  as  would  present  a  fair  sample  of 
the  capacity  of  the  class  for  improvement,  the  error  had  been 


30  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

committed  in  having  an  unfavorable  sample.  The  pupils  hardly 
do  justice  to  the  class  they  are  intended  to  represent.  The 
selection  was  not  indeed  an  easy  matter.  It  was  required  by 
the  Resolves,  that  the  subjects  of  the  experiment  should  all  be 
paupers,  or  children  of  indigent  parents,  as  they  were  to  be  paid 
for  by  the  State.  This  made  it  less  likely  that  the  children 
would  have  received  a  judicious  kind  of  treatment  at  home,  and 
such  advantages  as  can  be  commanded  by  pecuniary  means. 

It  was  required  that  they  should  be  from  different  parts  of 
the  State.  No  other  restriction  was  laid  upon  the  choice;  although 
it  was  expected,  of  course,  that  each  child  should  come  fairly 
within  the  class  for  whose  benefit  the  experiment  was  made, 
viz. :  those,  who  by  reason  of  mental  deficiency,  cannot  be 
taught  in  the  common  way.  This  class,  however,  is  a  very 
large  one,  and  comprehends  persons  who  differ  widely  from 
each  other  in  capacity  for  improvement.  It  was  desirable  to 
have  some  of  the  best  and  some  of  the  worst  specimens  of  the 
class;  and  those  selected,  as  it  has  proved,  are,  for  the  most  part, 
of  the  worst  kind. 

This  diversity  among  idiots  in  capacity  for  improvement,  is 
a  matter  which  is  little  known,  although  it  is  very  important, 
and  ought  to  be  understood ;  it  leads  to  a  consideration  of  the 

Importance  of  a  Proper  Classification  of  Idiotic  Persons. 

Many  a  child  is  neglected  as  being  hopelessly  idiotic,  who, 
with  a  little  attention,  and  wise  treatment,  might  be  greatly 
improved,  trained  up  to  associate  with  common  children,  and, 
finally,  enabled  to  take  care  of  himself;  while  others,  who  are, 
from  their  very  organization,  necessarily  idiotic  for  life,  have 
great  care  and  pains  expended  upon  them,  which,  proving  vain, 
leads  to  the  belief  of  the  incapacity  of  any  of  the  class  for 
improvement. 

One  of  the  most  eminent  teachers  in  Massachusetts  lately 
expressed  his  incredulity  about  the  improvement  of  idiots,  be- 
cause he  had  known  a  person,  grown  to  man's  estate,  who 
plunged  his  hand  into  a  vessel  of  hot  mush,  or  pudding,  and, 
though  severely  burned,  did  not  learn  enough  to  dread  the  heat, 
but  would  repeat  the  experiment  upon  the  very  next  oppor- 
tunity. The  case  is  not  so  bad  as  that  of  an  adult  idiot,  in  a 
neighboring  town,  who,  sometimes,  in  cramming  food  into  his 


1850.]  SENATE.— No.  38.  31 

mouth,  caught  his  fingers  between  his  teeth,  and,  not  knowing 
what  pained  him,  used  to  howl  and  bite  harder  and  harder,  until 
he  was  severely  hurt.  Some  of  our  pupils,  were,  in  certain  re- 
spects, even  lower  than  these,  for  they  had  not  knowledge,  or 
muscular  energy  enough,  to  bite  any  thing  when  placed  between 
their  jaws, — they  could  only  suck.  Even  these  have  greatly  im- 
proved ;  but,  granting  such  cases  to  be  nearly  hopeless,  it 
is  very  unwise  to  argue  from  them,  the  incapacity  of  the  class 
of  idiots  for  improvement,  especially,  as  in  that  class  are  usually 
comprehended  many  who  do  not  belong  there,  and,  who,  if  the 
subject  were  better  understood  by  the  public,  would  be  provided 
with  instruction  suitable  to  their  condition.  Our  common  school 
system  is  so  liberal  in  its  principles,  so  excellent,  and  so  widely 
extended  in  its  operation,  that  we  are  apt  to  suppose  it  suffices 
for  the  wants  of  all  the  community ;  but,  when  we  come  to 
examine  closely,  we  find  a  great  many  children  to  whose 
wants  we  cannot  minister. 

Besides  the  blind,  the  mutes,  and  the  idiots,  there  are  many, 
who,  by  reason  of  some  mental  peculiarity,  or  infirmity,  cannot 
be  classed  with  other  children,  and  taught  by  the  common 
methods.  They  need  some  peculiar  care,  and  a  course  of  in- 
struction adapted  expressly  to  their  condition.  Some  children 
have  been  offered  here  for  admission,  who  were  not  idiotic,  but 
who  could  not  be  taught  in  common  schools,  and  for  whom  no 
school  is  provided.*" 

It  was  not  easy  to  collect  ten  boys  who  should  all  be  mani- 
festly deficient  in  intellect,  and  some  of  whom  should  be  of  each 
grade  of  idiocy  ;  because  there  is  no  classification  that  is  gener- 
ally known  and  received.  To  form  a  good  one  is  difficult,  as  all 
attempts  to  classify  exceptional  cases  must  be.  If  a  classifica- 
tion were  based  upon  the  causes  of  idiocy,  it  might  be,  that  of 
idiots  whose  brains  cannot  act  naturally  for  want  of  size  ;  and 
idiots  whose  brains  cannot  act  naturally,  owing  to  various 
other  physical  causes.     This  would,  perhaps,  be  a  more  scien- 


*  Schools,  for  such  exceptional  cases,  are  much  needed  ;  and  it  is  gratifying,  to  be  able 
to  announce,  that  one  has  already  been  opened  in  Barre,  by  Dr.  Wilbur.  It  seems  to  be 
conducted  with  skill  and  judgment,  by  kind  and  intelligent  persons.  It  will  be  sought  by 
tliose  whose  pecuniary  means  enable  them  to  bring  all  the  aid  and  appliances  of  science  to 
supply  the  menial  deficiencies,  or  correct  the  menial  irregularities  of  their  children.  It  gives 
promise  of  great  good. 


32  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

tific  classification  than  the  one  adopted  in  this  report.  It  would 
give  one  very  small  class  of  pure  idiots,  resembling  each  other 
as  closely  as  ordinary  men  do;  and  a  second,  very  much  larger, 
comprehending  a  vast  variety  of  persons,  resembling  each  other 
only  in  the  lack  of  sufficient  mind  for  the  common  purposes  of 
life.  This  class  might  be  subdivided,  according  to  the  physical 
causes  of  the  mental  infirmity,  or  derangement.  Indeed,  the 
word  deranged,  might  be  well  applied  to  this  whole  class,  were 
it  not,  that,  by  popular  usage,  it  denotes  persons  whose  minds 
have  once  been  sound,  but  have  become  disordered,  or  deranged. 
In  the  case  of  those  who  are  idiotic  from  birth,  the  physical 
cause,  whatever  it  may  be,  prevents  the  brain  from  developing 
itself,  and  performing  its  functions  harmoniously  ;  it  never  gets 
to  be  in  order ;  it  does  not  become  attuned  to  concert  pitch 
with  others,  therefore,  cannot  properly  be  said  to  become  de- 
ranged ;  although,  compared  with  the  greater  harmony  of  action 
existing  among  ordinary  men,  it  is  deranged. 

The  functions  of  the  brain  being  very  various ;  some  serv- 
ing to  direct  and  promote  the  general  functions  of  the  body, 
and  others  serving  as  a  medium  for  the  manifestation  of  mind, 
and  the  latter,  of  course,  being  as  various  as  are  the  faculties,  ca- 
pacities, and  affections  of  the  mind  ;  the  possible  combinations 
among  them  are,  apparently,  exhaustless ; — hence  the  endless 
variety  of  individual  character.  In  order  to  have  a  normal 
development  of  character,  each  one  of  these  functions  must  be 
normally  performed,  or  at  least,  must  not  vary  widely  from  the 
common  standard.  The  lack  of  certain  functions  will  cause  cor- 
responding infirmity  in  the  resulting  character;  undue  action  of 
any  one  function  will  produce  undue  activity  or  violence  even 
in  the  corresponding  development  of  character ;  and  the  chances 
for  perfect  harmony  among  the  whole  is  very  small  indeed,  not 
one,  perhaps,  in  a  million.  The  chance  for  this  perfect  harmony 
existing  at  the  same  time  with  the  greatest  possible  power  in 
the  intellectual  or  in  the  moral  nature,  is,  of  course,  very  small ; 
and  for  its  existence,  with  the  greatest  power  in  both  these,  the 
chance  is  so  small,  that,  in  the  countless  generations  that  have 
been  evolved,  it  may  be,  that  not  one  individual,  so  endowed, 
has  yet  appeared.  When,  by  reason  of  infirmity,  or  defect  of 
any  part  of  the  brain,  or  undue  performance  of  its  functions, 
its  harmonious  development  and  action  is  so  far  disturbed  that 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  33 

there  cannot  result  sufficient  mental  development  for  self- 
guidance,  the  individual  is  considered  idiotic. 

The  degree,  and  the  kind  of  idiocy,  resulting  from  the  im- 
perfect and  inharmonious  performance  of  the  functions  of  the 
brain,  must  be  as  various  as  the  various  possible  combination? 
in  the  actions  of  these  functions,  which  we  have  seen  to  be 
exhaustless.  Hence,  in  the  second  great  class  of  idiots,  would 
be  embraced  individuals  differing  more  widely  with  each  other 
than  those  of  the  first  class ;  and  much  more  than  ordinary  men 
differ  with  each  other.  There  would  be  the  moping  idiot,  who 
sits  and  drivels  his  life  away,  in  stupid  inattention,  and  listless 
inaction  ;  the  wild  and  ungovernable  idiot,  who  cannot  be  at 
rest  at  all,  but  seems  driven,  by  inward  disturbing  force,  to 
strange  and  violent  actions,  like  those  of  a  mad-man  ; — and 
every  variety  between  these  two  extremes. 

The  classification  proposed  in  the  report  of  the  Massachnsctt? 
Commissioners,  divides  the  subjects  of  it  into  three  classes, 
founded  upon  the  degree  o{  their  idiocy,  or  privation  of  intellect. 
Simpletons  being  the  highest,  Fools  the  next,  and  Idiots  proper, 
the  lowest.  If  this  classification  were  intended  for  scientific 
purposes,  it  could  be  expressed  in  scientific  language;  but  being 
intended  not  for  professional  but  general  readers,  and  designed 
to  enable  them  to  understand  better  the  condition  of  the  unhap- 
py persons  in  whom  they  may  happen  to  be  interested,  terms 
are  used  in  their  common  and  popular  sense,  whether  it  be  the 
most  scientific  or  not. 

This  classification  assumes  that  the  subjects  of  it  are  not  per- 
sons absolutely  devoid  of  mind,  but  merely  persons  of  feeble 
mind ;  that  the  idiot  proper  is  the  most  feeble,  the  simpleton 
the  least  so.  It  is  important  that  this  principle  should  be  kept 
in  view,  so  that  the  great  advantages  of  classification  may  be  had, 
without  the  disadvantages  that  sometimes  attend  it.  Nature  pro- 
duces individual  men  and  not  classes.  Putting  men  into  a  class, 
is  too  apt  to  put  them  into  a  caste;  sometimes  even  it  puts  them 
out  of  the  pale  of  humanity.  This  is  seen  in  the  case  of  our 
artificial  class  of  convicts  or  criminals  ; — they  suffer  by  being 
considered  as  a  class  or  caste,  differing  from  other  men  not  in 
degree  of  guiltiness  only,  (as  is  in  truth  the  case)  but  differing 
absolutely  and  essentially, — being  cri7ni?ials,  while  other  men 
are  7iot  criminals.  Such  classification  may  give  undue  pride  to 
5 


34  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

the  one,  and  despair  to  the  other.  Similar  effects  may  follow 
the  classification  of  men  into  Christians  and  heathens;  and  the 
petty  subdivision  into  saints  and  world's  people.  Evil  may  arise 
from  the  misuse  of  tlie  term  Idiot^  as  the  name  of  a  class,  if 
it  causes  them  to  be  considered  as  a  distinct  order  of  persons, 
and  different  from  other  men  in  being  utterly  devoid  of  mind,  for 
it  will  be  considered  useless  to  try  to  teach  those  who  have  no 
mind  at  all ;  but  if  they  are  considered  as  differing  from  others 
not  in  kind,  but  in  degree  only, — as  merely  having/eeWe  minds, 
then  their  very  feebleness,  like  that  of  little  children,  will  com- 
mend them  to  our  hearts.  Whatever  classification  of  meu  is 
made,  the  mantle  of  humanity  should  be  thrown  over  the  whole, 
that  its  ample  folds  may  cover  every  one,  and  that  none  be  lost 
to  the  human  family. 

It  is  impossible,  of  course,  to  determine  exactly  the  degree  of 
intelligence  which  a  person  must  manifest  in  order  to  escape  the 
category  of  simpleton,  and  maintain  a  place  among  men  of  com- 
mon sense.  There  is  neutral  ground  on  either  side  of  the  divid- 
ing line,  and  a  person  may  sometimes  be  upon  the  one  and 
sometimes  upon  the  other,  according  to  the  standard  of  compar- 
ison by  which  he  is  tried.  The  same  difficulty  arises  in  some 
cases  about  deciding  whether  a  person  is  a  fool,  or  an  idiot  of 
the  next  lowest  degree ;  but  an  approximation  can  always  be 
made;  and  in  order  to  do  this  we  may  consider  the 

Use  of  Language  as  a  Basis  of  Classification  of  Idiots. 

There  arc  various  things  to  be  taken  into  the  consideration 
when  making  a  classification  of  idiots,  but  the  simplest  and  surest 
of  any  single  test  is  that  of  speech,  or  the  power  of  using  and 
understanding  some  kind  of  language  as  signs  of  thought. 
If  a  child,  having  no  physical  imperfection  in  the  organs  of 
speech,  can  hear  perfectly,  and  yet  does  not  learn  to  speak  in 
the  usual  time  and  manner,  it  may  be  attributed  almost  cer- 
tainly to  some  mental  defect  arising  from  physical  infirmity  of 
the  brain  or  nervous  system.  If  the  infirmity  be  (as  is  usually 
the  case)  congenital  and  organic,  it  will,  in  all  probability,  be 
permanent ;  if  it  be  only  functional,  it  may  be  cured.  It  is  very 
important  that  the  nature  of  the  infirmity  or  imperfection  be  as- 
certained early,  in  order  to  avoid  errors  in  treatment. 

The  simpleton  is  very   backward   about   learning   to   talk. 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  35 

During  a  long  time  he  uses  only  nouns  and  verbs;  but  at  last 
he  learns  to  make  simple  sentences;  he  comes  to  use  all  the 
principal  parts  of  speech,  and  to  express  himself  with  tolerable 
correctness  about  simple  matters  of  fact;  but  he  caruiot  make 
or  understand  involved  sentences,  or  those  expressive  of  abstract 
ideas.  Spoken  words,  the  audible  signs  of  thought,  become 
tolerably  familiar  to  him;  but  printed  words,  the  visible  repre- 
sentations of  the  audible  signs  of  thought,  being  a  remove  far- 
ther off,  are  understood  with  greater  difficulty ;  and  tJiough  he 
may  read  simple  sentences,  he  cannot  comprehend  the  more 
abstruse  ones,  or  such  as  relate  to  things  v;hich  are  not  the 
immediate  object  of  sense;  much  less  can  he  find  pleasure  in 
the  graces  of  style. 

The  idiot  of  the  second  class,  or  tlie  fool,  learns  to  speak  still 
more  tardily  and  imperfectly.  While  a  child,  he  uses  only  the 
names  of  things.  When  a  youth,  he  may  perhaps  master  the 
two  principal  parts  of  speech,  nouns  and  verbs;  the  latter 
however,  in  their  simplest  forms  only.  Pronouns,  conditional 
verbs,  adverbs,  ttc,  are  incomprehensible  signs  to  him.  If  he 
uses  a  short  sentence  containing  them,  it  is  as  a  complex  sign  of 
a  single  thing. — a  long  noun  ;  or  else  he  repeats  them  as  a  par- 
rot does,  without  understanding  them. 

The  idiot  of  the  lowest  class  utters  only  a  few  simple  sounds, 
or  interjections  which  are  expressive  of  his  appetites,  or  strong 
emotions;  and  which  are  not  peculiarly  parts  of  human  speech, 
for  animals  also  use  interjections.  The  oh !  and  ah !  of  the 
idiot  are  hardly  to  be  considered  parts  of  speech,  any  more  than 
the  bark  or  growl  of  a  dog. 

Such  is  the  condition  of  different  classes  of  uninstructed  idiots 
vv'ith  regard  to  the  use  of  language  so  far  as  I  have  been  able 
to  observe  them.  I  know  not  whether  any  observations  have 
been  made  by  others,  upon  this  means  of  testing  the  degree  of 
idiocy  by  the  capacity  for  using  language  as  signs  of  thouqht: 
but  it  seems  to  be  more  valuable  than  any  other.  The  faculty 
of  speech  is  improved  of  course  with  the  mental  improvement. 
Great  care  must  be  used  in  testing  the  degree  of  intellect  by  the 
faculty  of  speech,  not  to  overlook  any  malformation  that  may 
exist  in  the  structure  of  the  organs,  or  any  physical  inability  to 
use  them.  A  child  may  lisp  so  badly  as  hardly  to  be  under- 
stood ;  or  he  may  be  unable  to  pronounce  certain  words;  but, 


36  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

no  matter,  if  he  only  tinder  stands  your  speech — if  he  can  express 
by  ever  so  rude  a  sound,  or  by  any  sign  whatever,  his  sense  of 
the  meaning  and  value  of  words,  the  defect  is  not  in  his  intellect. 
The  power  of  understanding  language,  and  not  the  use  of  the 
vocal  organs  is  the  true  test.  It  is  easy  to  conceive  that  a  child 
having  the  sense  of  iiearing,  but  unable  to  articulate,  may  under- 
stand perfectly  a  grammatical  sentence,  and  frame  a  grammatical 
answer  in  some  kind  of  signs;  but  a  dumb  child  who  is  not 
deaf  or  idiotic,  would  be  a  rare  phenomenon,  notwithstanding 
that  almost  all  parents  of  deaf-mutes  persist  for  many  years  in 
thinking  their  children  can  hear. 

There  is  another  precaution  to  be  used  in  testing  the  degree  of 
intellect  by  the  knowledge  of  language,  and  that  is,  not  to  con- 
found garridity  with  copiousness  of  language.  Some  loqua- 
cious people  who  have  really  a  very  limited  knowledge  of  lan- 
guage, and  cannot  understand  its  more  intricate  and  delicate 
play,  ring  incessant  changes  upon  tlieir  scanty  stocli  of  words, 
zw^talk  more  than  others  who  thoroughly  understand  their  own 
and  foreign  tongues  in  their  most  subtle  forms,  just  as  a  person 
may  make  more  noise  upon  an  instrument  with  a  few  keys,  than 
a  good  musician  creates  upon  an  instrument  of  greater  com- 
pass by  whole  octaves.  So  it  is  with  the  class  here  treated  of; 
a  garrulous  person  of  the  class  of  fools,  may  talk  more  with  his 
few  and  simple  words,  than  a  taciturn  simpleton  does ;  though 
the  latter  can  form  and  understand  sentences,  which  would 
be  entirely  incomprehensible  by  the  former. 

These  remarks,  may  perhaps  help  parents  and  others  who 
arc  perplexed  about  the  backwardness  of  children  of  feeble  in- 
tellect to  understand  them  better.  If  a  child  can  really  compre- 
hend words,  expressive  of  abstract  qualities,  he  is  not  an  idiot 
of  the  lowest  class,  and  must  not  be  treated  as  such.  If  he  can 
form  a  correct  sentence  containing  different  parts  of  speech,  he  is 
not  even  an  idiot  of  the  second  class;  if  he  can  construct,  in- 
volved sentences,  containing  abstract  terms,  and  verbs  in  the 
conditional  sense,  he  is  hardly  a  simpleton. 

Chu-dren,  not  really  idiotic,  are  sometimes  classed  with  Idiots. 

Perplexity  sometimes  arises  about  children,  who  seem  to  be 

sensible  in  some  respects,  and  altogether  foolish  in  others;  and 

ithe  perplexity  cannot  well  be  removed  by  any  other  explanatioL 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  37 

than  that  given  by  ihe  doctrine  of  the  plurality  of  faculties,  and 
their  comparative  independence  of  each  other. 

A  man  may  be  utterly  wanting  in  what  is  called  a  musical 
ear,  so  as  not  to  be  able  to  distinguish  tunes  ;  or  an  eye  for 
colors,  so  as  not  to  be  able  to  distinguish  shades  of  marked  dif- 
ference; and,  as  this  may  depend  not  upon  the  construction  of 
the  eye  or  ear,  since  such  persons  can  hear  very  feeble  sounds, 
and  see  very  keenly,  so  as  to  distinguish  the  minutest  difference 
m  forms,  but  upon  some  peculiarity  or  imperfection  in  the  brain 
or  nervous  system; — so  from  some  similar  peculiarity  or  imper- 
fection, a  person  may  be  unable  to  distinguish  the  outlines  and 
forms  of  letters,  so  that  he  cannot  combine  them  into  words  and 
read  ;  that  is,  he  cannot  understand  the  visible  sig72^  of  words, 
though  he  may  understand  their  audible  sig?is,  and  can  com- 
prehend a  spoken  sentence,  which  lie  cannot  be  made  to  learn 
from  a  book. 

It  would  be  easy  to  ascend  from  such  material  perceptions  to 
those  of  a  more  abstract  nature,  as  for  instance  in  the  relations 
of  numbers.  One  man  sees  with  dilFiculfy  the  relation  between 
seven  and  fifteen,  while  another  by  the  flash  of  intuition,  sees 
every  possible  relation  among  millions  of  units,  and  runs  over 
the  cubes  and  squares  of  high  numbers  as  we  run  over  the  mul- 
tiplication table.  In  mathematics  he  has  extraordinary  skill, 
while  in  other  respects,  he  is  hardly  our  equal.  Now  no  con- 
ceivable difference  in  training  can  pyplain  this  dilTerence  in 
power;  nothing  can  do  it  but  the  supposition  of  an  independp.nt 
faculty,  \vlio.se  office  is  tliR  perception  of  the  relations  of  num- 
bers. The  power  and  condition  of  this  faculty  must  depend 
beyond  question,  upon  the  nature  and  condition  of  some  part  of 
the  bodily  organization ;  and  probably  upon  some  part  especially 
devoted  to  it.  The  material,  or  bodily  instrumentality  through 
which  the  mind  of  Zerah  Colburn,  saw  the  manifold  relations 
and  combinations  of  high  numbers,  was  as  much  superior  in 
power  and  accuracy  to  that  enjoyed  by  ordinary  minds,  as  the 
great  Rosse  telescope  is  to  an  opera  glass  ;  yet  Colburn's  mind 
enjoyed  no  uncommon  instrument  for  bringing  ol/ier  relations 
besides  those  of  numbers, — moral  relations,  for  instance,  within 
its  ken.  His  faculty  for  seeing  relations  of  numbers  was  hardly 
of  more  use  to  him  in  writing  his  very  poor  sermons,  than  a  tel- 
escope would  be  for  ploughing  a  corn  field. 


38  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

From  the  relations  of  numbers  there  is  but  a  step  to  other  ab- 
stract relations;  and  if  this  were  the  place,  it  would  be  easy  to 
apply  the  same  reasoning  to  moral  relations,  but  it  is  not,  and 
what  has  been  said,  must  suffice  for  explanation  of  what  has 
gone  before,  and  what  will  follow. 

It  is  commonly  concluded  that  if  a  boy  cannot  learn  to  read, 
as  other  boys  do,  he  is  therefore  stupid  ;  but  this  does  not  neces- 
sarily follow,  by  any  means.  As  inability  to  distinguish  relations 
in  musical  sounds,  or  difference  of  shades  in  color,  may  arise 
from  some  unimportant  imperfection  in  the  cerebral  structure  or 
functions,  so  may  an  inability  to  distinguish  the/orm  of  letters. 
The  same  doctrine  explains  many  peculiarities  which  appear  in 
the  more  purely  intellectual  faculties.  Some  youth  are  consid- 
ered as  foolish,  because  while  they  perceive  readily  the  exist- 
ence and  relations  of  facts  and  things  about  them,  they  fail  to 
reason  correctly,  or  to  draw  the  proper  inferences  from  them; 
on  the  other  hand,  the  same  is  true  of  those  who  seem  blind 
to  most  of  the  things  and  relations  about  them,  but  contrive  to 
generalize  well  and  act  wisely. 

May  it  not  be  that  imperfections  and  peculiarities  in  the  moral 
sense,  and  even  in  the  affections,  arise  from  similar  causes ;  and 
may  not  one  child  be  as  truly  unable  to  perceive  moral  relations 
and  duties,  as  another  is  to  perceive  the  difference  between /a 
and  sol,  or  between  green  and  blue?  If  it  be  so,  then  surely 
blame  and  punishment  are  as  little  deserved  in  the  one  case  as 
in  the  other. 

The  object  of  these  remarks  is  to  sliuw,  that  great  care  and 
discrimination  should  be  used,  in  judging  and  treating  those  per- 
sons, especially  children,  who  seem  to  differ  widely  from  the 
common  standard  of  intellect  or  morals. 

Indirect  Benefits  of  a  School  for  Idiots. 
It  will,  doubtless,  be  one  of  the  indirect  benefits  of  a  school  for 
idiots,  that  it  will  spread  greater  knowledge  upon  the  subject  of 
idiocy  in  the  community,  and  thus  will  save  many  children, 
who  really  have  mental  capacity,  from  being  condemned  as  m- 
capable  of  improvement.  It  will  probaby  do  even  more  than 
this,  for  there  is  no  doubt  that  children  of  feeble  intellect  are 
sometimes  made  worse,  perhaps,  rendered  imbecile,  by  unwise 
and  harsh  treatment.  1;  It  sometimes  happens,  that  the  child  of 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  39 

an  irritable  parent  cannot,  or  docs  not  readily  understand  and 
obey  a  command,  upon  which  the  parent  becomes  vexed,  and 
scolds  ;  and,  thinking  the  child's  dulncss  to  be  wilful  obstinacy, 
he  becomes  excited  and  angry,  and  beats  it,  in  some  cases  very 
severely."  These  outbreaks  of  the  parent,  if  very  frequent,  do 
not  leave  time  for  the  child  to  recover  his  natural  tone  of  mind  ; 
his  habitual  state  becomes  that  of  fear;  and  not  having  cunning 
enough  to  find  refuge  in  deceit,  he  submits,  in  despair,  to  a 
course  of  treatment,  which,  little  by  little,  breaks  down  his 
spirit,  completely  cows  him,  and  makes  him  a  simpleton,  or 
worse.  The  parent,  perhaps,  does  nut  suspect,  all  this  while, 
that  he  is,  himself,  cruelly  wrong;  he  does  not  think  at  all 
about  it;  but  vents  his  anger  upon  the  child,  as  often  as  its 
stupidity,  which  he  calls  obstinacy,  is  manifested. 

A  case  which  illustrates  the  effect  of  this  kind  of  treatment 
may  be  mentioned  here,  though  a  little  out  of  place.  My  atten- 
tion being  called,  a  short  time  ago,  to  a  boy,  said  to  be  idiotic 
and  unmanageable,  I  went  to  his  father's  house  to  see  him.  It 
was  a  dilapidated  and  dirty  room,  dimly  lighted,  and  intensely 
heated  by  a  cooking-stove.  There  were  several  children,  all 
of  them  dirty,  but  all  decently  clad,  except  one,  a  boy  of  thir- 
teen, who  was  literally  covered  with  rags.  On  opening  the 
door,  this  boy  ran  skulking  away,  and  hid  himself  behind  the 
cooking-stove.  He  soon  peered  out,  with  a  look  of  great  terror, 
as  if  in  fear  for  his  life,  or  of  a  severe  whipping  By  degrees, 
and  with  great  care,  I  got  near  him,  though  he  trembled  greatly, 
and  would,  occasionally,  dart  away  from  one  corner  of  the  room 
to  another.  When  not  running,  he  moved  about  with  the 
stealthy  tread  of  a  cat,  putting  down  his  foot  as  carefully  as  if 
treading  on  ice,  which  he  feared  would  break  under  him,  and 
keeping  his  eyes  fixed  upon  me.  After  long  attempts  to  quiet 
him,  and  assure  him,  he  was  induced  to  take  from  my  hand  an 
apple,  which  he  ran  away  with,  and  began  to  devour  most  vo- 
raciously. It  was  very  unusual  for  him  to  show  even  so  much 
confidence  in  a  stranger.  He  commonly  ran  from  any  one 
who  came  in ;  and,  if  approached,  he  would  scream  aloud,  and 
be  convulsed  with  terror.  It  was  considered  remarkable,  that 
he,  at  last,  very  timidly,  gave  me  the  tip  of  his  finger  to 
shake  hands  at  my  departure.  The  following  description  of 
him  is  by  a  very  intelligent  and  humane  gentleman,  who  first 
drew  my  attention  to  him  : — 


40  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 


Dr.  S.  G.  Howe: 

Dear  Sir. — My  attention  was  directed  to  this  boy,  in  the 
first  place,  by  his  father,  being  the  occupant  of  one  of  our 
tenements.  When  I  approached  him,  he  stealthily  moved  away, 
as  if  he  had  been  doing  something  wrong;  I  followed  him  to 
ascertain  what,  when  his  speed  increased  so  much,  as  still  more 
to  excite  my  curiosity  ;  he  ran  into  the  house,  and  got  under 
the  bed;  on  my  approaching  him,  his  agony  of  fear  appeared  so 
intense,  that,  to  give  him  relief,  I  went  away.  I  then  learnt 
from  his  father  that  he  was  an  iiuiocent^  as  he  was  called, — or 
idiotic.  Since  then,  I  have,  many  times,  endeavored  to  approach 
him,  and  coax  him; — but  never  with  success.  His  fear  of  me 
was  so  great,  that  I  gave  him  up.  I  have,  however,  frequently 
observed  him ;  he  would  mingle  with  his  playmates,  but  not 
partake  of  their  plays.  He  appeared  to  be  dull,  and  with  an 
idiotic  expression;  but,  under  the  influence  of  fear,  might  be 
violent,  and,  perhaps,  dangerous.  It  was  his  entirely  dependent 
condition,  and  melancholy  appearance,  that  excited  my  interest 
to  solicit  for  him  the  benefit  of  the  charity  of  the  State,  and  the 
humanity  of  yourself, 

I  remain,  very  respectfully,  yours, 

SAM'L.   DOWNER,  Jk. 

This  boy  was  quite  unmanageable,  by  any  means  within 
reach  of  his  father,  or  friends.  They  knew  no  way  to  make 
him  obey,  but  that  of  force  and  blows.  He  was  formerly  a  tol- 
erably bright  boy,  but  he  had  been  in  this  sad  condition  for 
years,  and  was  rapidly  growing  worse.  He  seemed  to  live  in 
continual  terror,  and  seldom  spoke  a  word.  The  first  time  that 
I  heard  him  utter  a  word,  was,  one  day,  when  his  father  took 
hold  of  him,  to  make  him  obey  some  command,  upon  which, 
with  his  knees  fairly  knocking,  and  his  body  trembling  all  over, 
he  screamed  convulsively — 'will -good  boy' — 'will-good  boy!' 
This  was  enough  to  show,  that  whatever  might  have  been  the 
first  caiise  of  his  strange  condition,  the  daily  treatment  he  was 
receiving,  was  gradually  crushing  his  feeble  intellect,  and  would 
tend  to  drive  him  into  hopeless  idiocy,  or  insanity.  And  yet, 
his  father  was  a   sober,  well-meaning  man,    and   not  a  cruel 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  41 

parent.  He  simply  did  not  know  how  to  govern  liis  own 
feelings,  and  to  iraiii  those  of  this  unfortunate  child.  The  boy 
was  therefore  taken  into  our  school  at  once.  He  has  been 
there  but  a  few  weeks,  and  the  change  in  him  is  already 
most  remarkable.  He  is  still  a  little  shy,  but  he  has  lost  all 
appearance  of  terror;  he  not  only  comes  readily  when  called, 
but  often  goes  up  to  those  belonging  to  the  house,  and  puts 
his  arms  aflectionately  about  them,  and  returns  their  caresses. 
He  takes  his  place  in  the  class,  and  strives  to  imitate  all  the  mo- 
tions of  the  scholars,  and  obey  the  signs  of  the  teacher.  He  can 
select  the  letters  of  the  alphabet,  and  understands  a  iew  words. 
He  is  obedient  and  docile,  and  tries  hard  to  learn  with  the 
others.  He  is  affectionate,  and  much  gratified  by  any  mark  of 
praise  or  approval.  He  begins  to  talk,  and  is  rapidly  improv- 
ing in  every  respect. 

The  following  letter,  from  Mr.  Downer,  will  show  how 
muchj^in  the  opinion  of  that  gentleman,  he  has  improved,  under 
the  treatment  he  has  received,  in  his  new  home.  The  improve- 
ment is  mainly  attributable  to  the  spirit  of  gentleness,  which 
pervades  the  household.  This  has  quieted  all  his  terrors,  and 
soothed  his  spirit,  so  that  he  is  able  to  give  attention  to  the 
judicious  instruction  which  Mr.  Richards  imparts  to  him. 

Boston,  February  14,  1850. 
Dr.  S.  G.  Howe  : 

"Dear  Sir, — I  availed  myself,  to  day.  of  your  invitation,  to 
visit  the  Institution  for  the  benefit  of  the  Feeble-minded,  that  1 
might  have  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  the  improvement, 
(if  any.)  of  the  boy,  Michael  Mali,  who  has  been  enjoying  its 
privileges  ;  but  1  hardly  know  how  to  comply  with  j^our  request 
to  communicate  how  his  present  appearance  struck  me,  as  com- 
pared to  that  which  he  exhibited,  before  being  placed  there. 
When  I  remember  his  former  wild,  and  almost  frantic  demeanor, 
when  approached  by  any  one,  and  the  apparent  impossibility 
of  communicating  with  him,  and  now  see  him  standing  in  his 
class,  playing  with  his  fellows,  and  willingly  and  familiarly 
approaching  me,  examining  what  I  gave  him;  and  when  1 
see  him,  already,  selecting  articles,  named  by  his  teacher,  and 
even  correctly  pronouncing  some  words  printed  on  cards, — im- 
provement, does  not  convey  the  idea  presented  to  my  mind; — it 
is  creation  ;  it  is  making  him  anew. 
6 


42  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

I  also  noticed  an  entire  change  in  his  manner  of  moving  his 
Iiands,  and  whole  body.  In  trntli,  as  he  stood  in  his  class, 
it  was  with  difficulty  I  recognized  him,  so  changed  was 
his  appearance.  I  was  struck,  particularly,  by  the  fresh  and 
iiealthy  appearance  of  his  skin  and  complexion,  which,  for- 
merly, was  pale  and  haggard. 

If,  sir,  he  is  a  fair  sample  of  what  training,  and  education 
can  do,  for  idiots,  I  can  only  say,  God  speed  you  in  your 
endeavors  to  build  up  such  an  institution;  it  has  but  to  be 
known,  to  be  appreciated,  and  to  have  the  views  of  its  founders 
carried  into  successful  operation. 

~  I  remain,  very  truly,  yours, 

SAM'L.    DOWNER,  Jr. 


Advantage  of  having  Pupils   of   Different  Grades  of  Idiocy. 

In  choosing  idiotic  persons  for  the  experiment,  it  was  neces- 
sary, that  they  should  ail  be  young;  it  was  desirable  that  the 
greatest  number  should  be  of  tite  lowest  class;  but,  that 
there  should  be  some  representing  each  class, — from  the  speech- 
less idiot,  to  the  simpleton. 

This  was  not  merely  to  test  the  capacity  of  each  class  for 
instruction  and  improvement,  but  likewise  to  profit  by  that 
beautiful  law  of  nature,  in  virtue  of  which,  children  of  different 
ages,  are  made  mutual  instructors. 

In  a  brood  of  birds,  the  little  nestlings  have  nothing  to  teach 
each  other ;  there  are,  therefore,  no  elder  and  younger  chicks. 
In  the  race  of  animals,  the  young  of  one  year  become  perfect 
and  independent,  before  those  of  the  next  appear ;  and  they 
know  not  the  brothers  and  sisters  that  come  after  them. 

There  is  no  true  home,  but  the  human  home ;  there  is  no 
true  family,  but  the  human  family.  In  it,  the  elder  child  is 
the  teacher  of  the  younger.  Daily  and  hourly  he  is  giving 
lessons,  such  as  no  hireling, — no,  not  even  the  parent  can  give; 
and  in  return,  he  himself  finds  both  pleasure  and  profit  in  every 
effort  that  he  makes^i'  The  lisping  girl,  in  repeating  over,  as  she 
loves  dearly  to  do,  the  new  words  she  has  learned,  and  the  new 
things  she  has  seen,  to  the  wondering  listener  in  the  nursery, 
is  not  only  giving    him  a  lesson    in  language,   but    reciting 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  43 

her  own,  and  fastening  it  more  firmly  in  her  memory.  She 
makes  good  the  maxim,  that  the  best  way  to  learn  a  thing,  is 
to  try  to  teach  it. 

The  same  principle  holds  good  as  they  grow  older,  save  that 
it  increases  in  importance,  for  now  the  moral  natnres  are 
more  fully  at  work,  and  act,  and  react  npon  each  other  with 
great  power.  The  elder  loves  to  revive  the  pleasant  thoughts 
— the  kindly  emotions  she  has  experienced,  by  relating  them  to 
the  younger,  who  strives  to  tune  his  heart  to  sweet  accord  with 
hers;  and  thus  she  sirengihens  her  own  good  feeh'ngs,  while 
she  is  calling  forth  his.  But,  on  the  other  hand,  she  revives 
and  strengthens  her  unkind  feeHngs,  and  her  unlovely  dispo- 
sitions, by  every  show  which  she  makes  of  them  to  him,  who, 
in  his  turn,  has  the  like  feelings  called  to  life,  in  his  own  breast. 
And  so  they  go  on, — through  childhood  and  youth  ;  the  die, 
itself,  growing  harder  by  every  impress  it  gives  to  the  mould. 

The  effect  of  this  principle,  for  good,  or  for  evil,  according  as 
it  is  improved,  or  neglected,  may  be  seen  in  every  family  of 
children.  The  greatest  advantage  may  be  derived  from  it,  when 
the  difference  of  age  is  two,  or  three  years  ;  a  wide  departure 
from  this,  either  way,  is  not  desirable.  Its  importance  may  be 
learned,  by  witnessing  the  effects  of  bringing  up  children 
alone,  or  without  the  society  of  those  somewhere  near  them  in 
age.  To  be  fatherless,  or  motherless,  is  a  great  misfortune  to 
a  child ;  to  be  brotherless  or  sisterless,  is  not  a  small  one. 

Now  in  a  school  of  idiots  like  ours,  where  boys  are  about 
the  same  age,  this  principle  would  be  violated,  if  they  were 
all  of  the  same  class  ;  but  when  they  are  of  different  degrees 
of  idiocy,  they  are  to  each  other,  as  elder  and  younger  children, 
though  they  may  be  of  the  same  age ;  the  simpleton  of  ten 
years  of  age,  is  to  the  fool  of  ten  or  twelve,  as  a  youth  is 
to  a  child;  the  fool  is  to  the  idiot,  as  a  child  is  to  an  infant. 
Some  advantage  was  hoped  from  this  arrangement,  nor  has 
that  hope  been  disappointed. 

It  was  necessary  to  receive  some  pupils  without  having  seen 
them,  upon  the  strength  of  descriptions  given  by  those  who 
had  the  care  of  them  ;  and  it  proved  that  in  some  cases,  such 
persons  were  mistaken  in  their  views.  For  instance,  a  boy  was 
sent  from  the  almshouse,  in  Roxbury,  as  an  idiot,  and  received 
as  such.     He  was  at  once  subjected  to  a  regular  course  of  cold 


44  TRAINING   IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

batliing,  exercise,  diet,  and  discipline,  the  good  effects  of  which 
were  very  apparent  in  a  few  weeks.  His  system  was  aroused, 
and  he  manifested  considerable  mental  activity,  and  capacity 
for  improvement.  In  a  short  time  it  became  clear,  that  he 
had  intellect  enongh  to  be  taught  ^by  the  common  methods, 
and  that  he  could  hardly  be  called  a  simpleton.  It  would  not 
have  been  fair,  therefore,  to  exhibit  him  as  a  proof  of  what 
could  be  done  for  idiotic  childi^en,  and  he  was,  accordingly,  dis- 
missed, as  lacking  the  qualifications,  or  rather,  disqualifications 
necessary  for  our  school. 

Physical,  or  Bodily  Training  aids  the  Development  of 
Mental  Power. 

The  first,  and  most  important  object  aimed  at,  during  the 
year,  has  been  the  improvement  of  the  bodily  condition  of  the 
scholars  by  physical  training,  that  is,  by  regular  and  systematic 
exercises,  for  invigorating  the  body,  generally;  for  increasing 
the  muscular  strength,  and  activity  ;  for  giving  more  ready  and 
perfect  command  over  all  the  motions  of  the  body  and  limbs; 
and  for  quickening  all  the   senses. 

Whatever  system  is  adopted  for  the  instruction  of  idiots,  the 
foundation  of  it  must  be  laid  in  physical  education,  that  is, 
thorough  bodily  training.  When  a  common  boy  first  comes 
under  the  teacher's  care,  tliis  training  has  generally  been 
accomplished  ;  his  body  has  been  broken  in,  as  it  were,  to  the 
service  of  his  will;  he  has  learned,  in  the  games  and  sports  of 
childhood,  and  in  various  ways,  to  have  prompt  and  entire 
command  of  all  his  muscles.     It  is  not  so  with  the  idiot. 

Of  the  whole  number  received  in  our  school,  not  one  had  the 
usual  degree  of  activity  and  command  of  muscular  motion  ;  in 
other  words,  quickness  of  eye  and  hand.  Some  could  walk 
about,  and  use  their  hands  and  limbs  in  simple  motions;  Avhile 
the  others  were  very  deficient  in  the  use  of  their  muscles;  and 
two  were  without  any  power  of  locomotion,  and  without 
command  of  the  voluntary  muscles. 

The  first  thing  then  was  to  invigorate  their  bodies,  and  to 
give  them  more  complete  command  over  all  the  muscles.  This 
has  been  done  by  diet,  by  bathing,  by  walking,  and  run- 
ning in  the  open   air,  and   by  various  gymnastic  exercises,  such 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  45 

as  standing  erect,  raising  first  one  foot  then  the  olher,  one 
arm,  and  then  the  other;  by  marching;  by  climbing  on  ladders; 
by  swinging  dumb-bells;  by  holding  out  objects  at  arm's  length  ; 
by  tossing  and  catching  balls  ;  and  by  various  movements  of  the 
body  and  limbs,  at  the  word  of  command.  This  has  been  followed 
up  with  such  variations  as  occurred  to  the  teacher,  in  order  to 
prevent  monotony  ; — and  with  the  most  marked  effect.  Some 
of  these  will  be  noticed  in  the  history  of  particular  cases,  suffice 
it  to  say  here,  generally,  that  a  manifest  improvement  has  taken 
place,  not  only  in  the  health  and  appearance  of  the  boys,  but  in 
their  capacity  for  taking  care  of  themselves. 

But  this  is  not  all,  by  any  means.  Bodily  training  is  an  impor- 
tant agent  in  the  development  of  the  mental  and  moral  powers, 
though  it  seems  only  to  promote  muscular  strength,  and  manual 
dexterity.  When  a  child  is  learning  to  balance  himself  on  liis  feet, 
he  is  doing  something  for  his  mind  as  well  as  for  his  body;  he  is 
training  his  mental  faculties,  as  well  as  his  muscular  fibres;  and 
when  he  first  toddles  from  the  supporting  corner  to  his  mother's 
arms,  he  brings  into  play  enterprise  and  courage,  as  well  as 
arms  and  legs.  And  so  it  is  through  childhood,  boyhood,  and 
youth.  Every  new  effort,  every  new  triumph  over  difficul- 
ties, every  new  game,  every  new  undertaking,  be  it  ever  so. 
simple,  which  gives  dexterity  and  hardihood  of  body,  gives 
also  quickness,  and  vigor  of  mind.  The  marble,  the  top,  and 
the  hoop;  the  sledge,  the  skates,  and  the  ball;  the  boat,  the 
gun,  and  the  horse,  may,  each  and  all  of  them,  be  of  priceless 
value  to  the  mind.  Exercises  with  them  need  not  be  mere 
idle  sports  and  useless  pastimes;  they  are,  when  well  timed, 
better  both  for  body  and  mind,  than  ill-timed  tasks,  and  lessons. 

The  idiotic  child  seldom  shows  a  taste  for  any  toys,  ex- 
cept the  very  simplest ; — sometimes  not  even  for  these. 
What  little  taste,  however,  he  may  have,  should  be  culti- 
vated. If  he  leaves  the  rattle,  and  comes  to  blow  a  tin 
whistle,  or  drag  a  wooden  horse,  it  is  a  sign  of  pi'of^ress ;  he 
must  be  encouraged  in  it ;  and  his  teacher  must  not  lose  hope 
if  he  creeps  when  he  would  have  him  run.  The  poor  boy 
must  ever  be  behind  ordinary  boys.  Before  he  can  trundle  a 
hoop,  a  bright  lad  may  learn  to  drive  a  locomotive  engine; 
before  he  can  fly  a  kite,  the  other  may  learn  to  soar  in  a  balloon  ; 
before  he  can   cross  a  pond  upon  skates,  the  other  may  be  ex- 


46  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

ploring  the  arctic  regions.  But  this  very  helplessness  should 
appeal  to  our  hearts ;  and  because  the  poor  creature,  shorn  of 
the  wings  of  intellect,  and  crippled  in  all  his  faculties,  is  lagging 
far  behind  in  the  general  race  of  progress,  we  should  lend  him 
a  helping  hand,  lest  he  be  entirely  lost. 

It  is  not  merely  desirable,  but  it  is  sometimes  absolutely 
necessary  to  commence  the  instruction  of  idiots  with  physical 
training,  for  some  of  them  have  never  had  their  muscular  system 
developed  at  all.  A  description  of  one  of  our  pupils  will  show 
this. 

Sylvanus  Walker,  aged  six  years;  height,  or  rather  length, 
for  he  had  never  learned  to  stand  upright,  was  three  feet  four 
inches;  weight,  thirty-one  pounds;  depth  of  chest,  six  inches 
and  three-quarters  ;  breadth  of  chest,  seven  and  one-half  inches. 

His  temperament  is  lymphatic-nervous;  skin,  fair;  hair, 
dark;  eyes,  dark  brown.  Dimensions  of  cranium,  from  ear  to 
ear,  over  the  top  of  skull,  10.44  inches;  from  root  of  nose  to 
occipital  spine,  10.13  inches. 

The  cause  of  his  idiocy,  according  to  his  mother's  account, 
was  mismanagement.  Soon  after  his  birth,  a  neighbor,  who  was 
kindly  acting  as  nurse  and  assistant,  took  the  poor  babe  close  to  a 
hot  stove,  and  began  to  rub  its  head  with  strong  rum^  Avarming 
his  head  by  the  stove,  in  order  to  make  it  soak  in  the  rum  the 
better,  and  rubbing  with  her  hand,  diligently,  for  a  long  time, 
until  a  whole  tea- cup  full  had  been  used.  Of  course,  a  con- 
siderable portion  must  have  been  absorbed,  and  the  effect  upon 
the  nervous  system  very  powerful.  The  babe  slept  profoundly, 
and  could  not  be  aroused  until  the  third  day  ! 

When  brought  to  our  school,  his  senses  were  very  inactive  and 
dull ;  his  eyes  were  languid  in  their  expression. — almost  vacant 
indeed,  and  very  slow  in  their  motions ;  his  hearing  was,  ap- 
parently more  active  than  his  sight,  for,  while  he  rarely  noticed 
visible  objects,  he  showed  some  liveliness  and  interest  in  musical 
sounds.  Touch,  or  rather  tactile  sensibility,  was  almost  want- 
ing in  his  hands,  and  other  parts  of  his  body. 

He  had  no  power  of  locomotion,  whatever ;  he  could  not 
stand  upon  his  feet,  nor  sit  up  alone  in  a  chair,  nor  even  creep  on 
his  hands  and  knees.  He  lay  quietly  upon  the  floor,  or  wherever 
they  placed  him,  by  the  hour  together,  or  even  all  day  long ; 
and  made  no  other  movement  than,  once  in  a  while,  to  raise  his 


1850.]  SENATE -No.  38.  47 

head  upon  his  liand,  with  his  elbow  resting  on  the  floor.  In 
this  posture,  he  sometimes  played  with  any  bright  thing  that 
came  within  the  reach  of  his  other  hand.  This  was  the  extent 
of  his  amusement.  He  had  no  other  occupation,  save  that  of 
eating,  or  rather  drinking,  for  he  could  not  chew  solid  food,  and 
was  nourished  mainly  upon  milk,  of  which  he  consumed  large 
quantities;  his  mother  said,  sometimes  nearly  a  gallon  a  day.  He 
had  not  learned  to  feed  himself  at  all.  He  had  no  more  sense 
of  decency,  when  brought  to  us,  than  an  infant. 

In  respect  to  intellect,  he  was  an  idiot.  He  could  not  speak  a 
dozen  words,  and  not  even  those  distinctly.  He  had  no  knowl- 
edge, no  desires,  no  affections. 

At  an  age  when  other  boys  were  at  school,  or  at  their  sports, 
this  poor  little  fellow  lay  motionless  upon  the  floor,  or  bed,  or 
wherever  they  placed  him,  without  amusement,  and  without 
occupation  ;  and  so  he  would  probably  have  lain  during  all  the 
years  of  his  youth.  H.e  would  not  have  learned  to  creep,  or  to 
talk,  had  he  lived  to  the  age  of  manhood,  for  his  limbs  were 
powerless,  and  his  parents  did  not  know  how  to  strengthen 
them,  or  how  to  teach  him  language. 

The  change  and  improvement  caused  in  this  boy's  condition, 
by  one  year's  training,  has  been  most  gratifying.  He  has  been 
bathed  daily  in  cold  water ;  his  limbs  have  been  rubbed ;  he 
has  been  dragged  about  in  the  open  air,  in  a  little  waggon,  by 
the  other  boys;  his  muscles  have  been  exercised;  he  has  been 
made  to  grasp  with  his  hands,  and  gradually  to  raise  himself 
up  by  them.  He  was  held  up,  and  made  to  bear  a  little  of  his 
weight  upon  his  lower  limbs, — then  a  little  more,  until,  at  last, 
to  his  great  delight,  he  was  able  to  go  about  alone,  by  holding 
on  the  wall,  or  to  one's  finger,  even  to  go  up  stairs,  by  clinging 
to  the  balusters.  He  can  go  around  a  large  table,  by  merely 
resting  one  hand  on  the  edge  of  it.  The  like  improvement  has 
taken  place  in  his  habits;  he  is  observant  of  decency  ;  he  calls, 
when  he  wants  any  assistance ;  he  can  sit  at  the  table,  and 
chew  his  food,  and  even  feed  himself  pretty  well. 

His  cheeks  begin  to  glow  with  color  ;  his  eye  is  much  brighter ; 
he  gives  attention  to  what  is  passing  around  him ;  and  his 
whole  countenance  is  more  expressive  of  thought.  His  improve- 
ment in  language  is  equally  great;  he  has  learned  many  words, 
and  can  construct  many  simple  sentences.     His  affections  begin 


48  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

to  be  developed,  and  he  manifests  his  attachment  to  persons  by- 
unmistakable  signs.  During  an  absence  of  several  weeks,  he 
did  not  forget  his  teacher,  and  used  to  show  to  his  mother,  that 
he  wanted  to  see  Mr.  Richards.  Such  is  the  effect  of  a  year's 
training;  and  it  is  but  the  beginning,  for  (his  boy  will  doubtless 
go  on  improving,  and  advancing  more  rapidly  for  every  step 
heretofore  gained.  He  was  put  down  on  the  list  as  an  idiot  of  the 
lowest  kind,  for  he  was  quite  in  an  idiotic  condition,  nor  was 
there  any  means  of  knowing  his  latent  capacities  ;  it  will  not  be 
surprising,  however,  if  he  should  be  raised,  not  only  to  the 
highest  grade  of  idiots,  or  simpletons,  but  even  lifted  quite  above 
that  class.  His  case  may  prove  to  be  one  of  those  mentioned 
under  the  head  of  Classification,  which  are  neglected,  be- 
cause, by  mistake,  they  are  included  in  a  class,  generally 
deemed  beyond  the  reach  of  the  teacher's  art. 

Another  boy,  Warren  Mantur,  aged  fourteen  years,  had  very 
little  command  of  muscular  motion,  when  he  entered.  He 
could  not,  or  would  not  mount  up  stairs,  two  steps,  without 
creeping  on  his  hands  and  knees.  He  now  walks  about  firmly ; 
he  can  go  up  a  long  flight  of  stairs,  climb  on  a  ladder,  and  per- 
form various  gymnastic  exercises  quite  freely. 

It  is  probable  that,  in  both  these  cases  the  inability  to  walk 
depended  partly  upon  the  condition  of  certain  mental  faculties, 
as  will  be  mentioned  hereafter. 

These  cases  are  mentioned  in  order  to  show  the  effect  of 
bodily  training,  without  dwelling  upon  the  important  effect 
of  direct  instruction,  as  shown  in  mental  improvement. 

Effect  of  Physical  Training  upon  the  Power  of  Attention. 

Bodily  training,  as  has  been  already  said,  must  not  only  be  the 
first  but  almost  the  last  step  in  the  course  of  instruction  of  some 
idiots.  Important  as  it  is  in  the  education  of  all  youth,  it  is 
especially  so  to  all  of  this  class.  It  not  only  invigorates  the 
general  health,  and  induces  sound  sleep,  thereby  indirectly  pro- 
moting mental  vigor,  but  it  has,  moreover,  an  immediate  and 
direct  influence  in  calling  out  the  attention^  and  giving  command 
of  it.  This  is  a  very  important  matter,  and  requires  particular 
notice. 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties  in  teaching  idiots  arises  from 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  49 

their  listlessiiess,  and  their  dishke  to  any  mental  effort.  They 
are,  or  seem  to  be,  unable  to  give  continued  attention  to  im- 
pressions made  by  external  objects.  There  is  hardly  more 
difference  between  the  hide  of  a  rhinoceros  and  the  skin  of  a 
man,  than  between  the  sensibility  to  outward  objects,  as  mani- 
fested by  a  low  idiot,  and  that  manifested  by  a  person  of  deli- 
cate organization.  The  thunder  is  not  so  loud  to  the  former,  as 
the  buzz  of  an  insect  to  the  latter ;  the  lightning  is  not  so 
sharp  to  the  eye  of  the  idiot,  as  the  glow  of  a  diamond  to  another 
person ;  nor  does  a  pungent  odor  affect  the  one,  so  much  as  the 
faintest  perfume  does  the  other.  The  idiot  of  the  lowest  kind 
gives  but  little  attention  to  the  impressions  upon  his  senses  ;  eyes 
has  he,  but  he  sees  not ;  ears  has  he,  but  he  hears  not.  Even 
hunger  calls  not  his  taste  into  action ;  he  cares  not  for  flavors 
or  savors, — he  only  wants  to  fill  up  an  aching  void, — no  matter 
whether  it  be  with  cunningly  cooked  dishes,  or  crude  garbage. 

To  mental  impressions  he  is,  of  course,  less  attentive  than  to 
sensuous  ones.  So  unused  is  he  to  any  mental  effort,  that  he  not 
only  dislikes  to  think,  but  he  really  seems  uneasy  and  pained 
when  he  is  compelled  to  think.  If  his  attention  is  forcibly 
aroused,  it  flags  again  in  a  moment.  It  must  have  a  new  fillip 
at  every  instant.  His  teacher  has  the  greatest  difficulty  to  keep 
his  eye  fixed  upon  his  own.  It  sidles  off  continually,  and 
drops  downward.  He  must  be  spoken  to  loudly  and  earnestly. 
Visible  objects  must  be  presented  continually,  to  illustrate  the 
subject  of  the  lesson.  They  must  be  of  bright  colors,  and 
striking  forms ;  they  must  be  presented  in  various  positions,  and 
his  attention  must  be  drawn  to  them  by  earnest  speech,  and 
fervid  gesticulation.  When,  by  these  means,  his  listlessness 
has  been  overcome,  and  he  begins  to  give  attention  more  rea- 
dily, and  to  keep  it  up  longer,  he  has  really  gained  a  great  deal. 
The  amount  of  actual  knowledge  acquired,  is  comparatively 
unimportant.  M^ny  of  the  exercises  of  our  school,  though  re- 
peated again  and  again,  may  seem  to  give  nothing  more  than  a 
little  increase  of  manual  dexterity;  a  little  more  ready  com- 
mand of  some  of  the  muscles  of  the  body.  The  principle, 
however,  is  this,  and  it  is  an  important  one  : — that  every  movc- 
w.ent  of  the  muscles  requires  the  exercise  of  the  ivill,  and  of 
the  attention,  and  by  this  exercise  some  of  the  mental  powers 
are  really  strengthened,  and  their  activity  promoted.  It  matters 
7 


50  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

not  much  by  what  particular  kind  of  exercises  this  effect  upon 
the  will  and  upon  attention,  is  gained. 

This  principle  has  been  steadily  kept  in  view  during  the  first 
year's  training  of  our  boys,  and  its  good  effects  are  already  de- 
monstrated. The  constant  call  upon  volition  and  attention  in 
gymnastic  exercises,  has  not  only  given  more  tone  and  vigor  to 
the  system, — more  strength  and  de«terity  of  body,  but  more 
ready  command  of  attention^  and  therefore,  more  real  mental 
power. 

The  boy  who,  when  he  came  here,  could  not,  or  dared  not, 
go  up  a  flight  of  stairs,  can  now  climb  up  the  under  side  of 
an  inclined  ladder,  and  perform  various  feats,  requiring  some 
strength,  dexterity  and  courage;  now  if  any  one  should  esti- 
mate the  value  of  this  power  to  him  solely  by  the  direct  benefit 
which  it  might  be  to  him,  such  as  increasing  his  bodily  dexter- 
ity, or  improving  his  health,  he  would  overlook  some  of  its 
greatest  advantages. 

Difficulty  of  finding  Good  Teachers  for  Idiots. 

The  necessity  of  constantly  acting  upon  the  principle  stated 
and  explained  above,  must  always  increase  the  difficulties  in  the 
way  of  the  education  of  idiots,  because  there  are  comparatively 
few  persons  who  have  the  gift  of  commanding  their  attention, 
by  perfectly  unobjectionable   means ; — by  earnestness  without 
temper ;  warmth  without  anger.     Perhaps  one  cause  of  the  ex- 
traordinary success  which  certain  teachers  in  common  schools, 
have   from    the    beginning    of    their   career,    is    their   faculty 
of  arousing   and   holding   fast  the   attention  of  their  scholars. 
They  may  not  be  men  of  talent,  in  the  ordinary  sense  of  the 
word ;  they  may  not  have   learning,  or   system,  or  even  expe- 
rience ;     but  they  are   live   men, — earnest  men; — they  throw 
themselves  with  enthusiasm  into  the  subject;    they  fascinate 
their  scholars  ;  they  heat  their  minds,  until  they  become  mallea- 
ble, and  then  stamp  in  the  impression  deeply.    It   is   hard   to 
express  this  peculiarity  of  certain  men,  otherwise  than  by  call- 
ing it  a  magnetic,  or  magnetizing  power ;  they  magnetize  their 
scholars ;    they   force  their  minds  to  come  into  relation  with 
their  own,  whether  they  will  or  not.     By   their  mere  manner 
of  giving  a  lesson,  or  explaining  a  subject,  they  create  and  keep 
up  in  the  minds  of  the  scholars,  a  degree  of  attention  and  inter- 
est, which  ordinary  teachers  cannot  do  by  scolding  and  whip- 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  51 

ping, — by  black  marks  and  by  white, — by  rewards  and  prizes, 
or  by  any  of  the  usual  aids  and  appliances  necessary  to  those 
who  have  not  this  gift. 

Such  persons  were  horn  to  he  teachers.  Nature  meant  that 
instruction  should  be  given;  and,  as  in  every  thing  else,  where 
she  gives  something  to  be  done,  she  gives  also  the  requisite 
number  of  agents,  with  a  particular  faculty  of  doing  it  well;  so 
also  for  teaching,  she  supplies  to  every  generation,  persons  spe- 
cially fitted  to  be  teachers.  Such  persons  are  ever  teaching  and 
leading  others,  and  if  they  will  not  make  it  their  especial  calHng 
to  do  so,  or,  if  people  will  choose  into  their  places,  persons  fitted 
for  mere  handi-craft  men,  or  for  mere  literary  drudges,  then  so 
much  the  worse  for  the  scholars, — for  the  persons  who  are  in 
places  that  do  not  fit  them,  and  for  all  concerned.  A  misfitting 
boot  or  garment,  is  a  trifle  compared  with  a  misfitting  place  for 
a  man.  If  it  be  too  big  for  his  dimensions,  he  cuts  a  sorry  figure; 
it  cannot  honor  him,  but  he  dishonors  it;  if  it  be  too  small  and 
rigid,  like  a  Chinese  shoe,  woe  be  to  him,  for  he  cannot  grow,  or 
he  grows  distortedly;  but  if  it  be  pliant,  like  a  school,  then  woe 
be  to  the  scholars'  minds, — he  will  stretch  them  out  of  all  come- 
liness of  shape. 

It  is  said  to  have  caused  surprise  in  England,  after  the  estab- 
lishment of  infant  schools,  by  Wilberforce  and  other  horn  teach- 
ers, that  women,  who  are  so  admirably  fitted  to  teach  children, 
could  not  teach  infant  schools,  as  well  as  the  energetic  men 
first  engaged  in  them.  May  not  the  case  of  the  idiots  explain 
this?  Infants  are  lively  enough;  their  senses  are  all  wide 
awake;  but  if  you  put  them  into  a  class,  and  require  them  to 
give  their  united  attention  to  any  thing,  then  comes  the  tug  of 
war.  Heads,  arms,  legs,  bodies,  and  tongues,  are  all  in  motion. 
An  ordinary  person  cannot  make  them  sit  still,  or  look  still,  or 
give  two  minute's  continuous  attention  to  any  thing  he  says  ; 
but  as  soon  as  there  comes  before  (hem,  a  man  of  strong  and 
earnest  nature, — a  horn  teacher^  he  hushes  them  into  silence  at 
once,  by  a  gesture  ;  he  fascinates  every  eye  by  his  earnest 
gaze;  he  presents  his  subject  vividly,  and  simply; — he  throws 
his  soul  into  it;  and  the  little  ones  hang  on  his  looks,  and  listen 
to  his  words,  and  partake  of  the  enthusiasm  which  he  feels  and 
shows,  and  communicates  to  them.  If  an  ordinary  man,  not  a 
horn  teacher,  attempt  to  imitate  this,  he  fails.  There  is  not 
about  his  natural  manner, — his  natural  language,  (so  to  speak) 


52  '         TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

enough  of  earnestness  and  power,  to  arrest  and  control  the 
minds  of  his  class,  he  cannot  mafrneiize  them,  he  cannot  hold 
their  attention,  and  so  he  has  to  resort  to  other  modes.  For 
earnestness,  he  is  very  apt  to  substitute  anger ;  and  he  calls  in 
artificial  appliances,  promises  and  rewards,  or  more  commonly, 
threats  and  punishment,  to  supply  his  own  short  comings. 

I  have  said,  that  in  teaching  idiots,  the  instructor  must  speak 
loudly  and  earnestly,  in  order  to  strike  the  senses  forcibly,  and 
to  arouse  and  sustain  the  attention,  but  he  must  never  speak 
sternly  and  ill  naturedly;  he  must  have  the  fervid  speech,  and 
the  earnest  gesticulation,  but  let  him  beware  of  the  slightest 
feeling  of  impatience  or  anger  ;  it  will  surely  do  harm,  and  per- 
vert his  lesson  into  a  lesson  of  evil. 

A  teacher  of  idiots  should  possess  a  rare  combination  of 
intellectual  and  moral  qualities.  He  should  have  enthusiasm 
of  spirit,  love  for  his  scholars,  zeal  for  his  \vork,  and  faith  in  its 
final  accomplishment;  for  which  he  must  labor  during  many 
years  with  untiring  patience, — with  earnestness  of  manner, — 
with  gentleness  of  temper, — and  with  exhaustless  fertility  of 
invention. 

It  is  comparatively  easy  to  direct  what  is  to  be  done,  but 
when  it  comes  to  the  execution,  every  thing  depends  upon  the 
teacher ;  his  office  is  as  important  as  that  of  the  director.  It 
may  seem  paradoxical,  but  it  is  probably  true,  that  it  requires 
a  rarer  and  higher  kind  of  talent  to  teach  an  idiot,  than  a 
youth  of  superior  talent.  When  the  time  comes,  that  schools 
for  idiots  are  estabHshed  over  the  country,  it  will  be  found 
more  difficult  to  get  good  teachers  for  them  than  to  get  good 
professors  for  our  colleges. 

Influence  of  the  Size  of  the  Brain  upon  Idiocy. 

Owing  to  causes  mentioned  in  other  parts  of  this  report, 
the  variety,  not  only  in  mental  capacity,  but  in  mental  idi- 
■osyncracy  is  very  great  among  our  pupils;  not  merely  as 
great  as  among  ordinary  boys,  but  far  greater.  They  are, 
or  were,  at  the  time  of  their  admission,  all  of  them  idiotic; 
they  would  have  been  pronounced  so  by  any  person  con- 
versant with  such  cases.  Indications  of  idiocy  in  all  the 
cases,  except  those  two  in  which  it  was  complicated  with 
insanity,  were  so    plain  as   not    to    be   mistaken.     Out   of  the 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  53 

whole  number,  however,  there  were  only  two  who  would  have 
been  recognized  as  idiots,  by  mere  examination  of  their  heads. 
Taking  the  whole  thirteen  together,  the  average  size  of  their 
heads  is  larger  than  the  ordinary  size  of  the  heads  of  per- 
sons of  their  age;  but  it  is  to  be  observed,  that  one  was 
hydrocephalic ;  leaving  him  out,  the  average  of  the  others 
would  be  about  the  orduiary  size. 

The  two  with  small  heads,  would  be  selected  by  any  one,  at 
sight,  as  not  having  brains  enough  for  the  manifestation  of  com- 
mon sense,  first,  because  their  heads  are  so  much  smaller  than 
common  heads.  If  their  lungs  were  as  much  dwarfed  in  com- 
parison with  the  other  organs  of  the  body,  as  their  brains  are, 
the  functions  of  respiration  could  not  be  carried  on  with  any 
degree  of  perfection ;  the  blood  could  not  be  oxygenated  fast 
enough  for  the  purposes  of  health. 

These  cases  naturally  suggest  some  physiological  remarks 
upon  the  effects  of  size  of  the  brain  upon  idiocy. 

Idiocy  is  sometimes  caused  by  the  smallness  of  the  brain ; 
indeed,  the  true  tyjie  of  the  lowest  class  of  idiots,  is  a  person 
whose  brain  is  too  small  to  perform  its  functions,  normally.  The 
common  notion,  however,  that  this  is  generally  the  cause  of 
idiocy,  is  incorrect.  Out  of  338  cases,  the  measurement  of 
which  is  given  by  the  Massachusetts  commissioners,  only  99 
had  diminutive  brains.  Among  our  boys,  only  two  have  very 
diminutive  brains. 

The  size  of  the  brain  which  is  necessary  for  a  normal  manifes- 
tation of  intellect,  varies  according  to  the  quality  and  condition 
of  the  bodily  organization,  as  will  be  shown  presently. 

When  the  idiocy  arises,  as  it  probably  does  in  the  majority 
of  cases,  from  some  congenital  imperfection  in  the  organization 
of  the  brain,  or  from  some  inherited  tendency  to  deranged  action, 
then  the  variety  in  the  appearance  and  in  the  condition  of  the 
sufferers,  is  almost  as  great  as  is  their  number.  They  have 
heads  of  the  ordinary  size,  or,  perhaps,  even  larger  than  usual. 
They  are  uncouth  in  their  appearance,  and  strange  in  their  ways; 
they  are  often  deformed,  or  distorted ;  they  appear  to  have  the 
rudiments  of  all  the  parts,  or  attributes  of  man,  but  these  are  so 
disproportioned,  and  so  ill  adapted  to  each  other,  that  it  seems  a 
hopeless  task  to  make  out  of  them  a  harmonious  whole.  Idiots 
of  this  class,  however,  preserve  the  human  appearance.     Dis- 


54  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

figured  and  even  distorted,  as  they  are,  they  still  seem  human; 
they  are  like  men,  and  not  animals,  in  their  looks. 

When,  however,  the  idiocy  arises  from  insufiicient  size  of 
brain,  the  idiot  generally  loses  the  peculiarly  human  appearance, 
and  sinks  to  the  likeness  of  the  higher  animals,  in  his  looks  and 
actions. 

My  observations  have  not  yet,  perhaps,  been  sufficiently 
extensive,  to  give  much  importance  to  this  suggestion,  but  it 
seems  to  be  made  more  probable,  by  a  priori  reasoning.  Or- 
ganic defect,  or  functional  derangement,  may  affect  any  part  of 
the  brain,  and  the  idiocy  that  follows  may  be  from  want  of 
harmonious  action  among  the  faculties,  and  this  want  of  har- 
mony will  manifest  itself  in  a  thousand  different  ways,  for 
there  are  thousands  and  tens  of  thousands  of  possible  inhar- 
monious actions  among  so  many  functions  and  faculties,  and 
only  one  perfectly  harmonious  action. 

When  the  brain  is  merely  too  small,  then,  if  it  is  dwarfed 
equally  in  all  its  parts,  we  should  expect  to  see  a  very  feeble  but 
a  harmonious  development  of  character;  the  feebleness  might 
be  so  great  as  to  amount  to  idiocy, — but  we  should  have  a  man 
in  miniature.  This,  however,  is  not  the  case  ;  at  least,  it  is  not, 
so  far  as  my  observations  have  gone.  Where  the  brain  is 
too  small,  it  is  not  dwarfed,  equally,  in  all  its  parts,  but  it  is 
especially  so  in  the  upper  and  forward  region; — in  the  parts 
which  are  considered,  by  many  physiologists,  as  the  seat  of  the 
organs  of  the  peculiarly  human  faculties  and  sentiments;  while 
the  hinder  and  lower  parts  of  the  brain,  or  those  supposed  to  be 
the  seat  of  the  organs  of  the  appetites  and  propensities  common 
to  men  and  animals,  are  far  less  affected.  Nature  first  makes 
sure  of  those  parts  necessary  to  the  continuance  of  the  indi- 
vidual, and  of  the  race,  as  the  foundations,  without  which  there 
can  be  no  superstructure.  The  lower,  or  animal  region  of  the 
brain,  predominating  in  size,  not  only  renders  the  person  more 
active  in  his  animal  nature,  but  gives  to  him  a  peculiarly  ani- 
mal look. 

It  should  ever  be  remembered,  that  this  disproportion  be- 
tween the  different  parts  of  the  brain,  though  small,  at  first,  will 
constantly  increase,  not  only  in  the  idiot,  but  in  every  one,  if 
left  unchecked  by  proper  means.  That  which  is,  by  nature,  a 
little  the  strongest,  becomes,  by  exercise  o(  its  fimc(io7is,  and  by 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  55 

7ieglect  of  exercise  of  the  functions  of  other  parts,  very  much  the 
strongest,  until  it  utterly  prostrates  and  masters  them.  Hence, 
the  high  duty  and  responsibihty  of  the  more  gifted  to  the  less 
gifted ; — hence  the  claim  of  the  idiot  and  of  the  youth|]of  low 
organization,  upon  the  men  of  high  organization ;  a  claim 
stronger  even  than  that  of  ordinary  youth ;  for  these  are  they 
who  liave  terrible  wars  in  their  members,  and  who  are  not,  and 
cannot  be  a  law  unto  themselves. 

May  not  the  organic  peculiarities,  the  instincts,  habits,  and 
appearances  of  idiots, — true  idiots, — give  us  some  clue  to  the 
process  of  development  of  the  race  of  mankind  ? 

In  all  the  early  steps  of  the  great  progress  hitherto  made  by 
the  human  race,  the  lower,  or  animal  parts  of  our  nature  have 
been  more  active  than  the  higher  ones,  except  in  the  rare  cases 
of  richly  gifted  men,  who  have  risen  up  from  time  to  time,  and 
stood  like  prophets,  showing  the  capacity,  and  foretelling  the 
elevation  of  man.  During  all  this  time,  the  improvement  of  the 
bodily  organization,  has  preceded  and  influenced  the  improve- 
ment in  character.  The  farther  we  go  back  towards  the 
barbarous  condition,  the  lower  we  find  the  organic  condition 
of  the  people  to  be.  Those  tribes  which  still  linger  behind 
in  savagedom,  show  us  the  race  not  yet  emerged  from  its  youth 
by  reason  of  the  great  comparative  activity  of  the  animal  pro- 
pensities. 

Now  it  seems  as  if  the  dwarfed  brain  of  the  idiot,  shows  us 
a  still  earlier  and  lower  condition ;  it  exhibits  the  animal  man 
still  more  clearly,  and  shows  him  to  resemble  the  monkey 
most  closely  in  his  looks.  It  is  not  merely  the  up-looking  and 
twinkling  eye,  the  flattened  forehead,  the  projecting  jaws,  and 
the  other  anatomical  peculiarities  that  give  him  this  likeness 
but  sometimes,  moreover,  the  likeness  is  seen  in  habits  and 
actions.  One  of  our  pupils,  besides  all  the  marks  just  men- 
tioned, which  give  him  a  strong  likeness  to  the  monkey,  has 
moreover,  the  long  arms  of  the  ape ;  he  moves  about  with 
his  head  and  shoulders  stooping,  and  his  arms  hanging  for- 
ward, as  though  he  were  going  to  drop  upon  all  fours.  One  of 
his  pleasures  is,  to  climb  upon  a  desk  or  high  place,  and  leap 
through  the  air,  with  out-stretched  limbs,  npon  some  one's 
neck,  and  to  cling  around  him,  not  as  a  common  child  does 


56  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

with  his  arms  alone,  but  twining  his  legs  about  him  as  though 
he  were  one  of  the  quadrumana. 

There  are  many  remarkable  instances  on  record  of  idiotic 
persons  manifesting  a  striking  likeness,  in  their  habits,  to  the 
habits  of  the  higher  animals;  and  if  it  be  found,  as  T  think  it 
will,  tliat  this  likeness  is  strongest  in  those  who  have  very  small 
brains,  then  we  may  suspect  not  only  that  their  idiocy  is 
caused  by  diminutive  size  of  the  brain,  but  that  there  has  been 
a  progressive  development  of  that  organ  in  the  progress  of  the 
race.  Some  of  these  habits  seem  to  show  the  reappearance  of  in- 
stincts which  could  only  have  belonged  to  man  in  a  low  animal 
condition,  and  which  have  entirely  died  out  in  the  race  long  ago, 
— even  before  it  arrived  at  savagedom.  Such,  for  instance,  is 
the  gnawing  off  the  umbilical  cord  of  the  infant,  by  an  idiotic 
mother,  in  the  manner  of  animals. 

Some  of  the  cases  in  our  school  furnish  interesting  evi- 
dence in  support,  not  only  of  the  doctrine,  that  diminutive 
size  of  brain  may  cause  idiocy,  but,  moreover,  that  the  tex- 
ture, or  quality  of  its  organic  tissue,  may  modify  very  ma- 
terially, the  manifestations  of  mind  made  through  it.  There 
is  a  certain  point  as  to  bulk,  below  which,  if  the  brain 
falls,  the  person  must,  necessarily,  be  idiotic,  but  that  point 
varies  very  much  in  different  individuals,  as  was  said  just 
now,  and  depends  upon,  or  is  connected  with  those  con- 
ditions of  the  bodily  organization,  comprehended  under  the 
term  temperament.  The  most  important  of  these  conditions 
seem  to  be,  that  of  the  tissue  of  the  fibres  of  the  body, 
especially  that  of  the  brain  and  nervous  system.  This  may 
be  recognized  by  external  marks,  by  the  hair,  features,  skin, 
proportion  of  the  limbs,  and  appearance  oijineness  or  coarseness 
in  the  texture  of  the  body  generally.  It  is  easily  known  when 
once  observed.  It  is  the  true  standard  of  beauty.  The  per- 
fection of  it  is  best  expressed  by  the  single  word — bloody  or  high 
blood.  There  is  very  great  difference  among  men  in  this  re- 
spect ;  the  vessel  of  fine  porcelain  excels  not  more  in  beauty,  and 
especially  in  fineness  of  grain,  the  coarse  earthen  jug,  than  does 
a  man  of  blood,  or  high  temperament,  excel  one  of  low  and 
coarse  organization ; — no  matter  though  the  first  be  a  North 
American  Indian,  the  second  a  prince  whose 

"     *     *      ancient  but  ignoble  blood 

Has  crept  through  scoundrels  ever  since  the  flood." 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  57 

As  the  arabian  steed   is  to   the  cart-horse,  so  is  the  man  of  fine 
toniperament  to  the  man  of  coarse  temperament. 

This  difference  in  temperament,  and  the  effects  of  it  are  seen 
in  two  of  the  idiot  boys  mentioned  above.  The  cranium  of  the 
first,  G.  Rowell,  measures  14.91  inches  in  its  greatest  circumfer- 
ence ;  10.44  inches  from  ear  to  ear,  over  the  top  of  the  head ; 
and  10.13  inches  from  the  root,  of  the  nose  to  the  occipital  spine. 

The  head  of  the  second,  Edmund,  measures  17.06  inches  in 
its  greatest  circumference;  11.07  from  ear  to  ear,  and  11.75 
from  the  root  of  the  nose  to  the  occipital  spine  .It  is  fair  to  con- 
clude then,  that  in  both  these  cases  the  idiocy  arises  from  want  of 
snfRcient  bulk  of  brain;  indeed,  the  first  falls  short  of  the  size 
supposed  to  be  necessary  for  manifestation  of  any  intellect,  by 
physiologists  who  have  written  upon  the  subject. 

The  first  named  boy,  whose  head  is  so  much  smaller  than  the 
second,  and  indeed  than  any  boy  in  the  school,  and  who  has 
such  a  striking  resemblance  to  the  ape  tribe,  manifests  much 
more  vivacity,  activity,  and  intelligence  than  the  second, 
and  indeed,  than  several  of  the  others.  He  is  very  active,  very 
resolute,  and  very  passionate.  He  masters  all  the  boys  v/ho 
are  any  where  near  his  own  age;  and  sometimes  strives  for  the 
mastery  over  the  bigger  ones. 

Now,  why  is  it  that  of  these  boys  whose  idiocy  is  caused  by 
want  of  bulk  of  brain,  the  one  with  the  smallest  brain  should 
manifest  the  most  intelligence,  and  the  most  character  ?  Pre- 
cisely for  the  reason,  that  the  man  of  "blood,"  or  fine  tempera- 
ment is  superior  in  these  respects  to  the  man  of  coarse  organi- 
zation,—though  his  brain  may  be  smaller;  for  the  same  reason, 
that  the  arabian  steed  is  superior  to  the  cart  horse,  net  only  in 
fleeiness,  but  also  in  sagacity.  This  boy's  body  is  of  a  much 
finer  organization,  and  his  brain,  doubtless,  is  so  likewise.  In 
his  bodily  structure  generally,  the  nervous  system  has  a  greater 
comparative  development  than  in  the  second,  who  is  rather  of 
the  lymphatic  temperament.  His  features  are  more  cleanly  cut 
and  chi^■selled,  liis  skin  is  softer  and  more  delicate,  his  liair  is 
finer,  his  eyes  are  more  lively  and  fiery,  his  limbs  are  more 
delicately  shaped,  his  fingers  are  longer,  and  difler  more  from 
each  other  in  length.  As  compared  with  the  other,  he  is  more  of 
what  may  be  called  the  poetic  temperament ;  he  is  an  idiot, — but 
an  idiot  madeof^/ier  duy,  and  in  a  fin^  r  mould. 
8 


58  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

As  a  small  machine,  say  a  mill,  if  made  of  fine  material,  and 
well  constructed,  may  turn  out  more  meal  than  a  larger  one  of 
coarse  materials,  rudely  put  together,  so  a  small  and  fine  brain 
may  do  more  thinkbig  than  a  bulky  and  coarse  one.  But  let  not 
the  sceptic  lose  sight  of  the  rest  of  the  figure, — there  can  be  no 
mill  built  without  a  builder, — and  it  can  turn  out  no  meal  at  all 
without  a  miller ! 

It  is  interesting  to  examine  these  boys  with  a  view  to  the 
faculty  which  they  manifest  for  speech.  They  were  both 
in  good  health  when  they  entered ;  they  were  pretty  free 
.and  active  in  their  motions,  and  had,  for  idiots,  very  good 
command  of  most  of  the  voluntary  muscles.  The  senses, 
especially  those  of  sight,  and  hearing,  were  tolerably  active; 
but  they  could  not  speak  a  word.  That  part  of  natural  lan- 
guage which  we  call  the  language  of  signs,  which  expresses 
certain  emotions,  and  which  men  have  in  common  with  the 
higher  animals,  was  possessed  by  these  boys,  in  about  as  much 
perfection  as  it  is  by  trained  monkies  and  dogs;  but  the  pecu- 
liarly human  attribute,  speech,  was  utterly  wanting.  Neverthe- 
iless,  the  difference  between  the  man,  even  in  his  low^est,  or 
animal  state,  and  the  brute,  was  clearly  visible  in  these  boys; 
and  seemed  to  be  a  difference,  not  in  degree  hut  in  kind. 
They  had  no  speech ;  they  could  not  make  the  simplest  sen- 
tence, but  they  had  the  germs  of  the  capacity,  and  of  the  dis- 
position^ to  speak  ;  not  as  the  parrot  speaks,  not  to  imitate 
sounds  merely,  but  to  attach  names  or  vocal  sounds  to  things, 
and  to  use  these  sounds  as  tJie  signs  of  the  things.  They  have 
.therefore,  the  natural  disposition  and  capacity  to  form  language; 
— attributes  which  are  utterly  wanting,  even  in  the  highest 
animals,  and  for  lack  of  which  none  of  them  ever  can  be  made 
to  use  it. 

Both  these  boys  have  learned  a  number  of  words,  and  take 
great  pleasure  in  using  them.  It  is  a  most  touching  sight  to  see 
the  efforts  which  poor  little  Edmund  makes  to  repeat  over  the 
words  that  he  has  learned,  and  to  show  to  every  one  whom  he 
meets,  that  he  understands  them.  There  seems  to  be  a  human 
soul  struggling  to  free  itself  from  a  brutish  form,  into  which, 
by  some  magic,  it  had  been  metamorphosed.  He  goes  about 
holding  up  a  nail,  a  stick,  a  ball,  or  any  object  of  which  he  has 
learned  the  name,  and  presenting  it  before  the  eyes  of  every  one 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  59 

whom  he  meets,  he  strives  to  pronounce  the  name  clearly,  and 
repeat  it  over,  as  if  he  would  challenge  attention,  and  proclaim 
his  title  to  a  share  of  human  nature.  He  has  not,  perhaps, 
learned  as  many  words  as  a  parrot  might  have  learned  in  the 
same  time,  but  his  words  are  to  him  names  of  things, — -signs 
by  which  his  unfledged  spirit  may  interchange  signals  with  the 
strong-winged  spirits  about  him;  for,  idiot  as  he  is,  he  is  a 
human  being,  and  language  is  already  to  him,  what  it  never  can 
be  to  the  most  loquacious  parrot  that  ever  lived, — it  is  a  medium 
for  the  conveyance  of  his  simple  thought,  and  for  his  under- 
standing the  thought  of  others.  But  to  return  to  the  special 
consideration  of  the  school,  and  particularly  the 

Design  and  Method  Proposed  in  Educating  the  Idiotic. 

It  will  be  seen,  by  what  has  been  said,  that  the  main  object  hcis 
thus  far  been  to  train  the  bodily  functions  and  the  muscular  mo- 
tions, and  to  establish  habits  of  attention.  All  this  is  with  a  view 
to  preparing  the  pupils  for  future  progress,  and  for  actual 
knowledge. 

Tiie  attempts  to  convey  direct  instruction;  have  been  con- 
fined principally  to  giving  lessons  upon  objects  which  address 
themselves  immediately  to  the  senses.  In  all  the  exercises  for 
training  the  senses,  some  real  knowledge  of  the  qualities  of  the 
objects  must  of  course  be  gained,  but  the  conveyance  of  knowl- 
edge in  those  exercises,  has  been  secondary  to  the  improve- 
ment of  the  senses  themselves. 

The  untutored  idiot  gives  so  little  attention  to  the  appearance 
of  things,  that  often  he  does  not  even  distinguish  bright  colors, 
unless  his  attention  is  directed  to  them.  Large  pieces  of  bright 
colored  pasteboard  or  paper,  are  placed  before  him,  and  he  is  re- 
quired to  distinguish  between  red  and  black,  and  blue  and  green, 
and  the  like.  At  the  same  time,  the  names  of  the  colors  are 
given,  and  he  is  required  to  learn  and  to  repeat  them.  In  this,  of 
course,  the  disposition  to  imitation  must  be  relied  upon,  because 
the  scholar  does  not  understand  the  words.  If  his  teacher, 
pointing  to  the  black-board  says,  "  say  black-board,"  he  will 
try  to  repeat,  "  say  black-board,^^  and  if  he  is  allowed  to  do  so 
a  number  of  times  when  the  object  is  presented,  he  will  learn  to 
think  that  "5ay  black-board,"  is  the  name  of  the  black-board. 
He  will  learn  by  practice,  and   by  that  only,  to   give  the  right 


60  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

name.  Considerable  time  must  be  spent  npon  exercises  in 
naming  objects,  and  the  idiot  mnst  be  made  to  repeat  the  name 
perhaps,  many  hundred  times;  Cot  these  simple  elements  of 
knowledge,  which  other  children  learn  merely  by  the  sportive 
exercise  of  their  senses,  can  be  mastered  by  him  only  with  pa- 
tient and  oft  repeated  efforts. 

It  will  serve  to  give  an  idea  of  the  tediousness  of  the  process, 
to  state  that  Mr.  Richards  was  obliged  to  make  a  boy  of  thir- 
teen years  of  age,  repeat  three  consecutive  words,  six  hundred 
and  fort}''  times,  before  he  could  be  sure  he  would  do  it  cor- 
rectly. The  same  process  has  to  be  gone  through  with,  in  order 
to  teach  them  other  qualities  of  objects.  Balls  made  of  different 
materials,  of  wood,  woollen,  leather,  Indian  rubber,  &.C.,  are 
placed  upon  the  table  before  them,  and  they  are  drilled  upon 
their  names  and  qualities.  The  same  is  done  with  regard  to  ob- 
jects of  different  size  and  shape.  Step  by  step,  and  slowly,  often 
turning  back,  and  going  over  the  inch  of  ground  he  has  gained, 
the  idiot  creeps  forward  a  little.  It  may  cost  him  a  score  of  les- 
sons to  learn  to  distinguish  between  the  length  of  a  foot  rule  and 
of  a  yard-stick,  but  when  he  does,  he  has  gained  some  positive 
and  directly  useful  knowledge. 

Different  kinds  of  grain  are  kept  in  boxes,  and  measures 
of  different  capacities  are  at  hand.  The  same  may  be  done 
with  a  great  variety  of  substances  ;  fruits,  spices,  &c.,  &c.  Hav- 
ing learned  to  know  the  difference  between  one  and  two,  be- 
tween a  handful  and  a  pint,  a  j)inl  and  a  quart,  the  idiot  is 
made  to  pour  two  successive  pint  measures  into  a  quart  measure, 
and  then  his  feeble  intellect  is  ta.Kcd  to  comprehend  that  two 
pints  make  a  quart.  This  is  no  light  task  for  his  untrained 
mind.  Hour  after  hour,  and  day  after  day,  he  must  fill  a  quart 
measure,  pronounce  its  name,  and  the  name  of  the  grain,  empty 
it  into  a  larger  measure,  and  count  the  number  of  times  he  does 
it,  in  order  to  fill  a,  peck.  It  is  very  hard  to  teach  him  that  one 
and  one  make  two  ;  harder  still,  that  two  and  two  make  four. 
Without  the  aid  of  objects,  of  the  things  themselves,  he  would 
never  comprehend  the  relative  quantities  composing  pints  and 
quarts,  quarts  and  pecks,  pecks  and  bushels.  With  their  aid 
even,  his  ideas  of  their  relations  may  be  vague  and  indefinite,  but 
perhaps,  not  more  so  than  many  a  boy  who  knows  Latin  and 
Greek  enough  to  enter  a  college,  but  who  never  had  the  rela- 


1S50.]  SENATE— No.  3S.  61 

tioiis  between  measures  demonstrated  to  liis  senses;  and  is 
perplexed  to  remember  whetlier  it  is  four  pecks  and  eight  gal- 
lons, or  eight  pecks  and  four  gallons,  that  go  to  make  a  bushel. 
To  him  who  has  never  learned  by  acUial  observation  and  meas- 
urement, what  is  a  square  foot,  a  square  rod,  a  square  mile,  and 
the  hke, — the  assertion  that  one  State  has  an  area  of  ten  thou- 
sand square  miles,  and  another  an  area  of  twenty  thousand, 
conveys  only  an  idea,  that  one  is  double  the  size  of  the  other, 
M'ithour  any  definite  notion  about  the  real  extent  of  either. 

Numbers  are  first  taught  by  presenting  them  in  the  concrete, 
and  gradually  an  idea  is  formed  of  their  abstract  relations. 
Objects  are  handled,  counted,  and  dwelt  upon  a  long  time. 
An  idiot  may  labor  months  in  the  apparently  vain  attempt  to  dis- 
tinguish between  four  and  five;  yet  is  not  the  labor  all  in  vain, 
for  though  he  may  not  be  able  at  the  end  of  a  year  to  dis- 
tinguish between  eight  and  ten,  yet  has  he  gained  something 
by  every  effort.  Even  in  this  respect,  however,  the  difference 
between  the  idiot  and  otiier  children  is  not  so  great  as  may  at  first 
appear,  for  the  abstract  relations  of  numbers  arc  not  always 
understood  even  by  those  who  have  long  been  in  the  habit  of 
using  the  signs  of  them  ;  they  talk  about  six,  eight,  and  ten. 
without  really  understanding  the  difi"erence  between  them  ;  and 
ihey  sometimes  acquire  dexterity  in  arithmetical  operations, 
without  at  all  understanding  even  the  multiplication  table. 
Most  of  us,  probably,  use  words  very  freely  as  signs  of  high 
numbers, — hundreds  of  thousands  and  millions, — the  true  value 
and  relations  of    which  are  quite  beyond  our  comprehension. 

A  Turk  stoutly  maintained  that  Constantinople  was  larger 
than  London,  and  being  asked  how  many  inhabitants  it  con- 
tained, said,  "a  million;"  to  which  it  was  answered.  "Lon- 
don contains  two  millions:"  whereupon  he  rejoined, — "then 
Constantinople  must  have  three  millions,  for  I  know  it  is 
the  largest  city  iti  the  world."  So  imperfect  is  our  system  of 
instruction,  that  the  notions  of  most  of  us  respecting  the  value  of 
high  numbers  are  as  vague  as  that  of  this  patriotic  mussulman. 

Pursuing  the  instruction  of  the  idiot,  his  eye  and  his  hand  are 
to  be  trained  together,  by  teaching  him  to  draw  simple  marks  and 
lines  upon  the  black-board.  This  is  a  great  step  forward,  and  a 
more  formidable  and  difiicult  matter  than  would  at  first  appear. 
Simple  as  it  may  seem  to  make  a  straight  line  witii  a  piece  of 


62  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

chalk  on  a  black-board,  it  is  not  easy  for  any  one,  as  he  will  find 
by  trying  to  draw  a  right  angle,  or  a  square,  without  a  ruler. 

When  common  children  are  trying  to  learn  linear  drawing, 
as  they  should  always  do  before  trying  to  write,  since  writing 
is  only  a  complex  and  difficult  kind  of  linear  drawing,  we  see 
how  many  marks  they  make  before  they  are  sure  to  draw  a 
perpendicular  line,  because  there  are  thousands  of  ways  to 
make  it  wrong,  and  only  one  way  to  make  it  right ;  and  they 
work  as  if  by  chance,  trying  the  wrong  ways,  and  even  seeming 
to  exhaust  them  before  hitting  the  right  one.  Moreover,  after 
they  have  at  last  got  it  right,  they  are  not  sure  to  mal^e  it  in 
the  same  manner  the  next  time ;  they  must  go  through  the 
trials  of  failure  and  success  many  times,  before  the  habit  of 
making  it  right  becomes  fixed.  The  teacher  must  not  expect 
that  they  can  see,  as  he  does,  the  variations  from  a  perpendicu- 
lar; nor  call  them  blockheads  if  having  at  last  drawn  it  right 
at  the  very  next  trial  they  make  it  wrong  again.  We  are  to 
have  long  enduring  patience  with  common  children,  and  never- 
ending  patience  with  idiots. 

It  is  always  worth  the  teacher's  while  to  consider  and  to 
analyze  the  mental  operations  which  his  scholars  must  perform, 
and  the  long  practice  they  must  have  in  the  repetition  of  those 
operations,  before  they  can  perform  them  spontaneously,  or  at 
least  without  consciousness  of  any  effort;  and  he  may  find  mat- 
ter for  such  consideration,  even  in  the  attempt  to  draw  lines. 

Whether  or  not  there  be  any  part  of  the  brain  whose  special 
function  is  to  serve  the  mind  in  the  perception  of  form,  certain 
it  is  that  the  capacity  to  perceive  and  comprehend  it  is  devel- 
oped after  infancy,  and  that  its  extent  varies  very  much  in 
different  individuals,  and  probably  in  the  same  individual,  in 
different  conditions  of  his  organization. 

A  perpendicular  line  is  one  of  the  elements  of  form,  and  it 
is  not  going  to  the  root  of  the  matter,  to  say  that  a  child  learns 
to  draw  one  by  the  sense  of  imitation  merely.  The  capacity  for 
imitation  does  not  give  the  power  of  conception  ;  long  practice 
even,  will  not  give  such  accuracy  of  eye  to  a  person,  whose 
capacity  for  conception  of  form  is  naturally  feeble,  as  another 
person  differently  constituted  will  have,  almost  without  any  prac- 
tice at  all.  The  latter  will  detect  at  a  glance  the  least  depar- 
ture from  uprightness  in  a  wall,  or  a  pillar,  which  the  former 


1850. J  SENATE— No.  38.  63 

cannot  discover  by  close  examination.  The  eye  of  tlie  one  mnst 
be  confirmed  by  measurement, — that  of  the  other  is  as  true  as 
the  Hne  and  plummet  itself. 

This  perception,  or  sense  of  perpendicularity,  is  closely  con- 
nected with  the  sense  of  equilibrium,  which  we  know  to  be 
developed  gradually  in  the  infant,  and  more  or  less  rapidly  in 
different  infants,  not  according  to  the  degree  of  practice  which 
they  may  have,  but  according  to  this,  modified  by  the  original 
capacity,  which  is  probably  dependent  upon  some  peculiarity 
in  some  part  of  the  brain.  That  it  is  so,  would  appear  from  the 
disturbance  of  the  function  which  takes  place  when  the  brain 
is  affected  by  intoxication;  the  man  reels  partly  because  he 
loses  the  sense  of  equilibrium.  He  says  with  reason,  to  those 
who  chide  him  for  staggering, — it  is  easy  enough  for  you  to 
say,  "walk  straight," — but  how  do  you  do  it? 

The  child  may  say,  with  equal  reason,  to  the  master  who 
bids  him  copy  exactly  his  straight  lines, — it  is  easy  enough  for 
you  to  say  "copy", — but  how  do  you  do  it? 

This  sense  of  equilibrium,  which  seems  not  to  be  developed 
at  all  in  the  babe,  begins  to  show  itself  in  the  infant  when  he 
tries  to  stand  alone;  and,  as  soon  as  it  is  sufficiently  trained, 
and  he  has  acquired  the  command  of  the  muscles,  he  will  walk  ; 
but  one  child  will  walk  much  sooner,  and  more  firmly  and 
accurately  than  another,  nor  does  the  difference  disappear 
entirely  in  after  life. 

It  is  said  that  the  ability  of  the  child,  to  balance  itself,  and  to 
walk,  depends  solely  upon  the  training  of  the  muscles,  but  it 
can  hardly  be  so.  There  is  reason  to  think,  that  one  reason  why 
the  idiotic  boy  mentioned  on  page  46,  could  not  walk,  even 
when  he  was  six  years  old,  was  his  lack  of  this  sense  of 
equilibrium,  though  another,  doubtless,  was  his  excessive  cau- 
tiousness, which  made  him  timid  to  an  extraordinary  degree. 

These  different  mental  faculties  are  developed  unequally, 
and  act  and  react  upon  one  another  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
make  it  very  difficult  to  assign  each  one  its  part,  nevertheless, 
a  consideration  of  them  is  not  useless  to  the  teacher,  especially 
in  training. 

In  teaching  linear  drawing  to  children,  preparatory  to  writing 
much  help  may  be  had  from  ascertaining  what  are  the  simplest 
elements  of  form,  and  making  them  learn   those  first.     This  is 


64  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

not  usually  done;  the  preparatory  steps  are  not  first  taken; 
linear  drawing  is  not  taught,  because,  so  great  is  the  power  of 
imitation,  and  the  aptiiude  for  learning  in  young  children,  that 
tliey  get  on,  some  how  or  other,  and  learn  to  copy  the  most 
complicated  forms  of  letters,  and  at  last  to  write  rapidly,  with- 
out ever  having  had  lessons  in  tlie  elements  of  form,  or  in  linear 
drawing.  This  only  shows,  however,  that  they  can  learn  by 
inferior  methods,  and  it  is  well  for  them  that  they  can  ;  but 
when  we  are  led  to  examine  the  details  of  the  process,  and  to  go 
back  to  first  principles,  as  one  must  do  in  the  instruction  of 
idiots,  it  is  seen  how  the  system  of  instruction  may  be  simpli- 
fied and  improved. 

It  has  been  said  about  reading,  that  if  children  only  knew  be- 
forehand the  great  difficulties  to  be  overcome,  they  might  be  held 
back  in  despair  from  attempting  the  task.  The  same  might  be 
said  more  forcibly  oi  icril'irig.  ^Yhe  power  of  attention  has  to  be 
trained  to  distinguish  forms  and  outlines ;  the  faculty  of  imita- 
tion has  to  be  exercised,  in  order  to  give  the  power  of  copying; 
the  command  and  direction  of  muscular  motion  has  to  be  gained 
by  manifold  and  long  continued  exercise,  not  of  one,  but  of 
many  muscles.  There  are  the  flexors,  the  extensors,  the  rota- 
tors, each  and  every  one  of  which  act,  sometimes  alone  pro- 
ducing direct  motion, — sometimes  in  cooperation  with  others 
producing  a  resultant  motion  in  tlie  mean  direction  of  the  two 
forces.  To  be  able  to  do  all  tliis,  —  to  combine  the  varied  motions 
of  the  arm,  the  hand,  and  the  fingers,  so  as  to  form  letters,  even 
by  pains-taking  and  care,  and  to  do  it  correctly,  is  a  great  thing ; 
— to  do  it  easily,  swiftly,  and  almost  without  thought,  is  a  won- 
derful thing  ! 

'i'o  say  that  we  do  these  things  mechanically,  and  as  it  were, 
unconsciously,  lessens  not  the  wonder,  but  on  the  other  hand, 
increases  it.  '^Vo  one  who  had  never  seen  the  process,  but  who 
imderstood  fidly  all  the  dificullies  overcome  by  a  dexterous 
scribe  in  copying  a  manuscript, —  the  process  -would  seem  like 
a  miracle.  It  is,  indeed,  one  of  those  common  and  every-day 
miracles  which  familiarity  is  so  apt  to  make  us  disregard. 
AVhen  we  come  to  try  to  teach  an  idiot  this  art,  then  we  ap[)ly, 
as  it  were,  a  magnifying  glass  to  the  process,  and  discover  all 
its  details  and  its  difficulties.  To  him,  every  new  figure  is  a 
veritable  -pons  asuioTvm;  every  curve  is  a  new  mystery  ;    he 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  G5 

spends  months  over  the  simplest  marks;  and  when  other  boys 
have  bounded  on  to  the  end  of  the  course,  and  can  make  eagles, 
and  griffins,  and  all  sorts  of  figures,  wiih  a  flourish  of  the  pen, 
the  poor  idiot  is  laboring  slowly  along,  far  behind,  rounding 
his  o's,  and  dotting  his  i's. 

Tt  is  the  same  with  other  branches  of  instruction  as  it  is  with 
writing.  But  let  not  this  discourage  any  effort:  both  learners 
are  going  forward  and  upward,  and  though  the  distance  between 
them  seems  so  immense,  that  the  one  feels  the  pride  of  a  superior 
being,  yet  he  should  ever  be  humble,  for  the  distance  at  which 
he  is  in  advance  of  the  idiot  is  as  a  point — as  nothing,  com- 
pared with  the  distance  forward  to  Him  who  is  Perfect  Knowl- 
edge !  Because  we  may  seem  to  fly, — shall  we  not  teach  our 
brother  to  creep  ? 

It  is  not  deemed  necessary  to  go  into  a  detail  of  all  the  modes 
of  instructing  the  pupils  in  our  school,  because  these  particular 
modes  are  unimportant.  Enough  has  been  said  to  illustrate  the 
principle.  With  this  principle  in  his  mind,  each  teacher  will 
find  ways  and  means  to  carry  it  out.  To  each  of  the  pupils 
senses  the  appropriate  objects  are  to  be  presented  in  the  con- 
crete, and  their  names,  numbers,  and  qualities,  are  to  be  taught. 
To  the  eye,  are  to  be  presented  colors,  forms,  positions,  motions, 
and  measures;  to  the  ear,  sounds,  in  all  their  varieties  of  con- 
cord and  discord,  of  time  and  tune;  to  the  feeling,  sizes,  resist- 
ance, smoothness,  roughness,  elasticity,  and  weight; — to  each 
sense,  its  appropriate  objects,  varied  in  as  many  ways  as  pos- 
sible, and  made  as  different  from  each  other,  and  as  striking, 
in  appearance,  as  can  be. 

After  the  senses  are  trained  to  take  note  of  their  appropri- 
ate objects,  the  various  perceptive  faculties  are  to  be  trained 
by  exercises  adapted  to  each  of  them.  The  greatest  possible 
number  and  variety  of  facts,  are  to  be  gathered  by  the  exercise 
of  these  faculties, — and  to  be  garnered  up  in  the  memory, — 
a.s  a  store,  out  of  which  the  higher  mental  faculties  may  draw 
materials  for  constructing  general  ideas. 

The  efforts  made  to  teach  reading,  have  been,  upon  the  whole, 
satisfactory.  Some  even  of  the  lowest  class  have  learned  to  select 
words,  printed  on  slips  of  paper.  The  ordinary  method  of  teach- 
ing the  letters  first,  was  tried  but  failed ;  that  of  teaching  each 
word,  as  a  whole,  that  is,  as  a  complex  sign  of  a  thing,  was 
9 


G6  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

more  successful.  For  example,  the  different  powers  of  the  three 
letters  A,  a,  /,  could  not  be  understood ;  but  the  complex  sign 
made  by  uniting  the  three,  and  making  the  word  hat,  could  be 
understood  as  the  sign  of  the  thing  worn  upon  the  head.  It 
was  the  same  with  Laura  Bridgman.  The  success  in  these 
cases  shows  how  well  this  mode  of  teaching  reading  is  adapted 
to  the  simple  understanding  of  children. 

Thus  far  the  teachers  attention  has  been  confined  mainly  in 
instruction  to  the  exercise  of  the  senses,  and  to  the  knowledge 
of  the  simple  attributes  of  things;  and  Mr.  Richards  has  shown 
his  skill  in  adapting  his  lessons  to  the  condition  and  capa- 
city of  the  pupils.  When  his  record  of  facts  shall  be  ample 
enough,  and  their  result  more  apparent,  their  pubhcation  will 
be  far  more  valuable  than  such  generalizations  and  specula- 
tions as  this  report  contains;  for  these  are  made  rather  with 
a  view  to  express  the  writer's  interest  in  the  subject,  and  to  in- 
spire similar  interest  in  others,  than  with  a  hope  of  giving 
much  information, 

Besides  imparting  mere  knowledge,  there  is  a  still  higher 
duty  to  these  unhappy  beings,  which  is  to  bring  out,  and  to 
train,  as  far  as  may  be  done,  the  feeble  germs  of  their  social 
affections,  and  their  moral  sense,  their  love  to  men,  and  their 
responsibility  to  God.  As  this  is  the  highest,  it  is  also  the 
hardest  task  of  all;  for,  as  the  peculiarly  human  attributes  upon 
which  all  virtue  is  founded,  are  last  in  the  order  of  develop- 
ment in  the  progress  of  the  race,  so  they  are  feeblest  in  those 
whose  low  organization  throws  them  back  nearer  to  the  original 
animal  condition.  We  must  profit,  however,  by  the  great  les- 
son of  patience  set  us  by  nature  in  her  slow  development  of  the 
race,  where  the  long  day  of  a  thousand  years  is  followed  by 
the  morrow  of  a  thousand,  in  which  a  small  but  certain 
progress  is  clearly  shown.  How  long  men  remained  in  the  ani- 
mal condition  we  know  not;  we  first  find  them  in  the  state  of 
unthinking  pagans;  slowly  they  become  reasoning  heathens; 
and  at  last,  believing  Christians,  in  which  state  they  linger  long 
before  they  manifest  their  sense  of  being  truly  children  of  God, 
by  loving  all  their  brethren,  and  thus  obeying  the  will  of  their 
Heavenly  Father. 

If  then  those  who,  in  advance  of  the  rest  of  the  race,  have 
arrived  at  what  they  call  Christianity,  are  still  selfish,  and 
ready  to  fight  for  their  own  selfish  ends,  how  shall  we  expect 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  67 

the  poor  idiot,  who  has  not  even  arrived  at  the  point  of  devel- 
opment at  which  other  men  become  pagans, — who  has  never 
felt  enough  of  the  blind  spirit  of  veneration  to  make  him  bow 
down  and  worship  an  idol — how  shall  we  expect  him  to  mani- 
fest the  true  sense  of  duty  to  God,  by  love  to  men  7  The  task 
is  hard  indeed,  but  not  hopeless ;  and  what  we  sometimes  see 
in  little  children,  should  greatly  encourage  us.  The  idiot  is  still 
a  little  child ;  a  child  that  may  never  come  to  maturity,  but  yet 
there  are  in  him  the  elements  of  many  virtues,  which  manifest 
themselves  even  more  rarely  than  they  do  in  the  ordinary  in- 
fant, but  still  often  enough  to  make  us  certain  of  their  existence. 
The  infant  is  at  first,  like  the  idiot,  only  an  animal ;  he  has  not  so 
much  sentiment  as  would  lead  a  grown  man  to  worship  even  as 
a  pagan  worships ;  he  knows  no  higher  call  than  that  of  hunger ; 
his  sister  might  be  starving,  and  cry  to  him  with  dying  words 
and  looks,  for  a  bit  of  the  bread  which  he  holds  in  both  hands, 
while  his  mouth  is  full,  but  he  would  not  give  her  a  crumb  to 
save  her  life  ; — yet  that  very  infant,  as  soon  as  the  animal  appe- 
tite is  fully  satisfied,  may  show  beautiful  manifestations  of  the 
tender  germs  of  love. 

Who  has  not  seen  a  little  infant  mourning  over  a  broken  toy, 
or  striving  to  raise  an  overthrown  chair,  and  plainly  showing 
by  looks  and  actions,  that  he  personifies  it,  and  supposes  it  to 
be  suffering?  It  is  not  merely  that  his  sense  of  order  is  disturbed. 
T'here  is  sometimes  evident  personification  of  the  object,  and 
manifest  grief  for  its  supposed  suffering. 

Only  yesterday  this  occurred  ;  a  father  had  a  cane  the  han- 
dle of  which  was  carved  in  the  shape  of  a  dog's  head  ;  his 
infant  son,  who  could  not  speak  five  words,  was  very  fond  of 
this  "  Bow-wow,"  as  he  called  it.  The  father,  hoping  to  please 
the  boy,  took  a  knife  and  began  to  cut  off  the  stick,  so  as  to 
make  it  short  enough  for  him  to  walk  with.  The  child  was  im- 
mediately alarmed  and  troubled,  at  seeing  his  "bow-wow"  cut, 
and  he  showed,  by  his  looks,  that  he  thought  it  was  hurt.  As 
soon  as  it  was  cut  in  two,  he  began  to  moan  and  cry  most 
piteously,  "  Bow-wow  boke," — "  Bow-wow  boke."  He  in- 
sisted upon  having  the  end  that  was  cutoff,  and  tried  eagerly, 
to  put  the  two  together  again.  He  mourned  for  some  time,  and 
would  not  be  comforted.     There  could  be  no  mistake  about  the 


'68  .  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

nature  of  his  feeling;  it  was  the  feeble  manifestation  of  what, 
by'culture,  may  become  the  most  expansive  benevolence. 

Little  children  do  indeed  continually  manifest  the  germs 
of  noble  sentiments,  and  generous  affections,  as  well  as  of  the 
intellectual  powers; — but  how  differently  are  they  treated! 
For  the  germs  of  the  intellect  there  is  early  culture,  and  skilful 
training.  The  best  talent  of  the  civilized  world  has  been 
brought  to  bear,  for  generations,  upon  the  subject  of  its  develop- 
ment. From  the  infant  school,  up  to  the  university,  almost  all 
the  incentives,  all  the  prizes,  all  the  honors,  are  for  mere  intel- 
lectual excellence.  Talent!  talent !  that  is  the  one  thing  need- 
ful !  States  found  and  support,  and  rich  men  endow  establish- 
ments for  all  sorts  of  intellectual  culture;  which  is  all  as  it 
should  be;  but,  where  are  the  systematic  means  for  the  culture 
of  practical  love  and  goodness  1 

Let  the  wisdom  and  the  power  of  man  be  devoted  to  finding 
out  and  putting  into  operation  ways  and  means  for  making 
children  virtuous  and  good,  as  they  have  been  for  making  them 
merely  wise,  and  the  result  will  be  equally  great. 

Without  faith  in  the  innate  capacity  for  goodness,  one  could 
do  nothing  towards  cultivating  the  social  affections,  and  the 
moral  sense  in  ordinary  children,  much  less  in  idiots ;  with  it, 
he  may  do  much  even  among  the  latter. 

Much  as  the  idiot  needs  physical  training  and  intellectual 
instruction,  he  needs  moral  training  and  elevation  equally.  It 
has  been  said  before,  but  it  cannot  be  repeated  too  often,  that 
his  appetites  and  propensities  being  never  restrained  by  any  in- 
tellect, or  any  moral  sense,  seem  to  monopolize  for  themselves, 
all  those  energies  of  the  system,  which,  in  other  persons,  are 
expended  in  part  through  the  action  of  moral  and  social 
affections ;  hence  those  appetites  and  propensities  increase  by 
what  they  feed  upon  ;  they  grow  with  his  growth,  and  strengthen 
with  his  strength.  He  has  no  idea  of  the  capacity  of  his  stomach, 
and  therefore  he  gorges  it;  he  has  no  idea  of  property,  and 
therefore  he  steals ;  he  has  no  idea  of  delicacy,  and  therefore 
he  continually  offends  that  of  others;  he  has  no  idea  of  affec- 
tion, and  therefore  he  does  not  love;  he  has  no  idea  of  moral 
and  social  relations,  and  therefore  he  fulfils  none  of  them.  All 
this  is  true  of  the  uninstructed  idiot;  but,  even  though  he  has 
none  of  these  ideas  developed, — he   has,  nevertheless,  the  latent 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  69 

capacity  for  their  development,  and  it  is  upon  this  capacity  that 
our  expectations  of  his  moral  culture  and  elevation  must  be 
founded. 

The  idiot  has  within  him  the  germs  of  the  moral  virtues  and 
social  affections,  but  they  are  like  seeds  lying  in  a  wintry  soil ; 
they  will  never  sprout,  if  left  to  themselves;  we  must  warm 
them  into  life,  by  subjecting  them  to  genial  influences;  we  must 
quicken  their  growth,  by  surrounding  them  v/ith  objects  of 
affection,  and  by  giving  to  them  the  daily  influence  of  the  sun- 
shine of  love.  Under  these  influences  there  will  be  growth  ;  tardy 
and  slow  indeed, — but  still  growth.  The  idiot  will  learn  what 
love  is,  though  he  may  not  know  the  word  that  expresses  it;  he 
will  feel  kindly  affections,  though  he  cannot  understand  the 
simplest  virtuous  principle ;  and  he  may  begin  to  live  accep- 
tably to  God,  before  he  has  learned  the  name  by  which  men 
call  Him. 

There  may  thus  be  training  to  the  exercise  of  the  aff'ections, 
long  before  any  instruction  can  be  given  in  their  nature ;  and 
to  virtue,  long  before  its  precepts  can  be  understood ;  indeed, 
without  this  training,  the  precepts  are  apt  to  be  like  seed  sown 
npon  stony  ground. 

As  has  been  said  before,  the  idiot  of  the  lowest  class  is  but 
an  animal,  yet,  when  the  cries  of  the  animal  nature  are 
hushed,  and  the  talisman  of  love  is  presented,  then  the  long 
dormant  afl^ection  will  manifest  itself;  as  in  the  cold  and  sense- 
less iron  a  sort  of  answering  life  appears  when  the  magnet  is 
brought  near  to  it. 

In  our  pupils,  even  of  the  lowest  class,  it  is  easy  to  dis- 
cover the  faint  manifestation  of  the  affections;  as  in  the  case 
of  the  one  who  can  neither  speak,  nor  walk,  nor  creep,  nor 
even  chew,  but  who  manifests  the  pleasure  he  feels  when 
any  one,  in  woman's  apparel,  approaches  him; — it  brings 
back  the  memory  of  a  mother's  love.  He  shows  as  plainly 
as  looks  and  motions  can  show,  that  he  loves  the  matron  ; 
his  eye  glows,  with  a  kindly  warmth,  and  his  idiotic  look 
is  lost  for  a  moment,  in  the  gleam  of  affection  which  lightens 
his  countenance.  He  understands  not  speech  ;  but  he  under- 
stands the  natural  language  of  kindness,  and  strives  to  ansM^er 
to  it. 

Amongst  our  boys,  the  smali-hcadcd  idiot,  of  the  lowest  class. 


70  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb. 

sometimes  shows  marks  of  affection  to  his  playmates,  and 
kisses  them.  The  doubt  of  those  philosophers  who  have  ques- 
tioned whether  kissing  be  natural  to  man,  or  artificial,  would 
be  solved  by  seeing  how  readily  these  uninstructed  idiots  take 
to  it. 

Two  other  boys,  of  the  lowest  class  also,  who  have  no  speech, 
sometimes  sit  close  beside  each  other  for  a  long  time,  and 
seem  to  receive  pleasure  from  bringing  the  sides  of  their  heads 
together. 

Most  of  them,  when  not  hungry,  or  irritated,  show  sym- 
pathy, to  a  certain  extent,  in  each  other's  sufferings ;  and 
sorrow,  when  they  are  grieved,  or  hurt. 

It  would  be  very  easy,  to  multiply  instances  of  the  sort, 
amongst  these  poor  boys,  were  it  necessary,  but  it  is  not.  They 
evidently  possess  the  elements  of  the  social  virtues,  and  it  is 
upon  their  capacity  for  these  virtues  that  must  be  founded 
all  attempts  to  cultivate  their  affections.  The  opportunities 
for  these  attempts  must  be  found  in  daily  intercourse  with  them, 
and  in  regulating  their  intercourse  with  each  other.  Precept 
can  do  little  here;  it  is  by  example,  and  by  constant  practice 
alone,  that  the  training  can  be  accomplished. 

As  to  the  higher  moral  nature, — the  sense  of  right  and  wrong, 
— the  supremacy  of  conscience,  and  the  feeling  of  acconntability 
to  God, — we  look  almost  in  vain,  for  any  rndiments  of  these 
crowning  glories  of  humanity  in  the  uninstructed  idiot.  To 
him  the  animal  nature, — the  appetites  and  propensities,  are 
given  in  nearly  the  same  degree,  as  to  other  men,  and  it  is  by 
being  unrestrained  and  unbalanced  that  they  become  rampant; 
in  capacity  for  the  social  affections,  he  is  more  stinted;  still 
more  so,  in  the  intellectual  powers ;  and  is  left,  utterly  without 
any  moral,  or  religious  sense.  He  cannot  therefore  become,  as 
compared  with  other  men,  an  accountable  moral  agent.  He  is 
destined  to  remain  through  life  a  little  child;  as  such,  he  must 
be  regarded  and  treated  ;  his  feeble  powers  of  self-government 
must  be  strengthened  ;  he  must  be  surrounded  by  the  kindest 
and  best  influences  ;  he  must  be  spared  from  undue  temptations  j 
— but,  after  all,  the  responsibility  for  his  conduct  must  rest 
with  those  upon  whose  sense  of  justice  and  mercy,  God  has 
made  him  a   helpless  dependent. 

It  has  been  the  aim  to  conduct  this  school  upon  these  general 


1850.]  SENATE— No.  38.  71 

principles,  and  to  follow,  as  far  as  we  could  observe  it,  the  natu- 
ral order  in  the  development  of  the  various  parts  of  the  chil- 
dren's nature;  to  train,  first  the  body,  next  the  mind,  then 
the  morals ;  never,  indeed,  losing  sight  of  either,  or  attending 
exclusively  to  any  one,  but  acting  with  a  view  to  the  harmo- 
nious development  of  the  whole. 

General  Result. 

The  result,  thus  far,  seems  to  be  most  gratifying  and  encour- 
aging. Of  the  whole  number  received,  there  was  not  one  who 
was  in  a  situation  where  any  great  improvement  in  his  con- 
dition was  probable,  or  hardly  possible;  they  were  growing 
■worse  in  habits,  and  more  confirmed  in  their  idiocy.  The 
process  of  deterioration  in  the  pupils  has  been  entirely  stopped  ; 
— that  of  improvement  has  commenced  ;  and,  though  a  year  is 
a  very  short  time  in  the  instruction  of  such  persons,  yet  its 
effects  are  manifest  in  all  of  them. 

They  have  all  improved  in  personal  appearance  and  habits,  in 
general  health,  in  vigor,  and  in  activity  of  body.  Some  of  Iheni 
can  control  their  own  appetites  in  a  considerable  degree;  they 
sit  at  the  table  with  the  teachers,  and  feed  themselves  decently. 
Almost  all  of  them  have  improved  in  the  understanding,  and  the 
use  of  speech.  Some  of  them  have  made  considerable  progress 
in  the  knowledge  of  language;  they  can  select  words  printed 
on  slips  of  paper;  and  a  few  can  read  simple  sentences.  They 
have  gained  a  knowledge  of  many  objects,  their  names,  colors, 
forms,  dimensions,  &c.  But  what  is  most  important,  they  have 
made  a  start  forward.  They  have  begun  to  give  their  attention 
to  things ;  to  observe  qualities,  and  to  exercise  thought.  The 
mental  machinery  has  been  put  in  operation,  and  it  will  go  on 
more  easily,  and  more  rapidly,  in  future,  because  the  greatest 
difficulty,  that  of  getting  into  motion  from  a  state  of  rest,  was 
overcome  when  it  began  to  move. 

There  is  ground  for  confidence  that  the  reasonable  hopes  of 
the  friends  of  the  experiment  will  be  gratified,  and  that  the 
bounty  of  the  State  will  not  be  expended  in  vain. 

All  that  was  promised  by  those  who  asked  for  the  trial  of 
this  experiment  has  been  accomplished,  as  far  as  was  possible, 
in  the  period  of  a  year.     It  has  been  demonstrated  that  idiots 


72  TRAINING  IDIOTS.  [Feb.,  '50.] 

are  capable  of  improvement,  and  that  they  can  be  raised  from  a 
state  of  low  degradation  to  a  higher  condition.  How  far  they 
can  be  elevated,  and  to  what  extent  they  may  be  educated,  can 
only  be  shown  by  the  experience  of  the  future.  The  result  of 
the  past  year's  trial,  however,  gives  confidence  that  each  suc- 
ceeding year  will  show  even  more  progress  than  any  prece- 
ding one. 

The  experience  gained  by  all  connected  with  the  school,  will 
enable  them  to  do  more  and  better  than  before.  The  subject  was 
entirely  new  to  them,  and  the  best  and  most  direct  mode  of  ac- 
complishing many  things  had  to  be  learned  by  trials  of  various 
ways.  Even  these  unsuccessful  trials  in  the  past,  may  how- 
ever be  useful  in  the  future. 

The  school  will  be  conducted  as  an  experimental  one  during 
two  ensuing  yea^s,  for  which  provision  has  been  made  by  the 
State's  bounty;  a^d  dt  is  earnestly  hoped,  with  such  measure  of 
success  as  will  ihsur(eits  continuance,  in  abler  hands,  and  with 
greater  means  of  usefulness.  When  the  public  is  convinced, 
that  the  plan  of  ameliorating  the  bodily  and  mental  condition  of 
idiots  is  not  a  visionary  one,  then  wiser  and  better  men  will 
step  forward  to  conduct  the  enterprise  in  a  wiser  and  better 
manner.  They  will  find,  perhaps,  that  the  experience  gained, 
during  this  experiment,  may  be  of  some  use  to  them;  they 
may  profit  even  by  the  errors  and  short-comings  of  those  who 
have  conducted  it ;  so  that  in  any  event,  the  labors  which 
have  attended  it,  will  not  have  been  in  vain. 

Respectfully  submitted  by 

S.  G.  HOWE. 


''^  ;9^t 


DATE  DUE 


m  1  a- 


mk- 


UNIVERSITY  PRODUCTS,  INC.    #859-5503 


BOSTON  COLLEGE 


3  9031  01493933  4 


